MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is closely following the ongoing developments in the Middle East on a daily basis ahead of the 2026 Candidates Tournament to be held in Cyprus later this month, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich told TASS on Thursday.

The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament takes place in Cyprus, between March 28 and April 16, 2026. It's an eight-player tournament, with the overall winner earning a spot in the 2026 FIDE World Chess Championship

"Individual participants [of the tournament] raised security questions, it's true, we don't need to hide that," the FIDE chief stated. "We are analyzing the situation in coordination with the authorities of Cyprus on a daily basis."

"We believe that the risks that were earlier mentioned by some of our colleagues are clearly exaggerated," he added.

"There was only one incident that was reported at the beginning of the armed conflict in the Middle East, so there's no indication that there are significant risks at the present time," the FIDE chief added.

On March 2, the British Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus was attacked by drones. This occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his approval of a US request to use the UK's military bases to strike missile depots in Iran. Following these drone attacks, naval vessels from many EU and NATO countries began deploying to Cyprus. Greece immediately dispatched two frigates and four F-16 fighter jets upgraded to Viper standard.

The French frigate Languedoc and the German frigate FGS Nordrhein-Westfalen also arrived on the island. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Cyprus on March 9, France deployed the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle near the island to ensure Cypriot security. A Dutch ship and frigates from the Spanish and Italian navies were also sent to Cyprus at that time.

Middle East conflict

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February·28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.

The Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran later announced the election of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated ayatollah, as the country’s new Supreme Leader.