Ian Nepomniachtchi spoke about his plans for tournaments in 2026 and shared his impressions of the events he has played. Nepo says he was not invited to the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships 2026, and notes that he’s a bit tired of tournaments.

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Russia's No. 1

“What are my tournament plans? Before the Esports World Cup, I will probably play one Open tournament in the summer. EWC will be in August.

Then it depends on the situation. If the Russian national team is allowed to participate in the Olympiad, I will probably play in the Olympiad. If not, then I don’t know… Most likely I will play in the Global Chess League and the Total Chess Championship. And at the end of the year there will be the World Rapid and Blitz Championships.

Maybe if there’s another Open somewhere this year, I’ll play. But I don’t know where or when yet.

No one invited me to the World Team Rapid and Blitz. Well, it’s not a given that I would go, frankly, because there’s just so much going on. I played four tournaments from early May to early June.

I’ve got a bit of tournament fatigue.”

Since May, Ian Nepomniachtchi has played at the Sardinia World Festival, Karpov 75th Anniversary, Uzchess Cup 2026, and an exhibition match against Hans Moke Niemann. Ian has gained +5.9 rating points in Classic and +3 in Rapid.

Credit: Lennart Ootes