John Bartholomew and SmarterChess Predictions

Hey guys, it's SmarterChess! 👋

John Bartholomew and I just released a new video covering the 2026 Candidates tournament starting on Sunday already! The top players in the field are Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Javokhir Sindarov. But that's not to say some of the others can't surprise us all!

Prag, Wei Yi, and Giri are all in the next tier... around 10-12% in the betting odds. And rounding up the pack, we have Esipenko and Bluebaum, both rated right near 2700.

I'd really love to see Hikaru win, and I think it'll take a +4 score. Sindarov is my surprise candidate that I think has a very realistic shot to win.

Please let us know what you think in the comments!

Who will win the event?

What will their final score be?

Do you have a surprise potential winner?