Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju has withdrawn from the remaining events of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour to focus on regaining form after recent disappointing results. However, he will still participate as a wildcard in the Rapid & Blitz tournaments in Warsaw and Zagreb.
Gukesh stated that reducing his schedule will allow more time for training and recovery. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov has been added as a full-time participant for the 2026 season, replacing Gukesh in the main lineup.