India to host FIDE Chess World Cup in October-November
The tournament that will see 206 players battling for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. India last hosted the event in 2002 in Hyderabad where Viswanathan Anand won the title.
The players will compete in a knockout format, where the losing player in each round is eliminated.
♟ FIDE World Cup 2025 to be hosted in 🇮🇳 India!
The prestigious FIDE World Cup is coming to India this year! Scheduled for October 30 to November 27, 2025, the tournament will feature the world's best players battling for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026… pic.twitter.com/BWnpPGdfZX — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 21, 2025
"The event has used several formats over the years, but since 2021, it has followed a single-elimination format. Each round spans three days: two classical games on the first two days, followed by tie-breaks on the third day, if necessary," FIDE stated.
In the first round, the top 50 players receive byes, while players seeded from 51 to 206 compete, with pairings based on the principle of the top half versus the reversed lower half.
"The top three finishers of the 2025 World Cup will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship," FIDE said.
Reigning world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, the runner-up of the 2023 World Cup, and Arjun Erigaisi, currently ranked world number five, are among the stars who would be seen in action. World number one Magnus Carlsen has also qualified to compete in the biennial event that he won in 2023.
India has recently hosted major events, including the 2022 Chess Olympiad, Tata Steel Chess India, the 2024 World Junior U20 Championships 2024, and the 5th leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in April this year.
"We are thrilled to bring the FIDE World Cup 2025 to India, a country with a deep-rooted passion and support for chess. Indian chess fans' enthusiasm has always been remarkable, and we anticipate great interest in the event among local chess lovers, both on-site and online," FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said in a press release.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
9 minutes ago
- Mint
Divya Deshmukh beats Koneru Humpy in final to become FIDE Women's World Cup champion 2025; netizens say ‘Glory of India'
Divya Deshmukh, 19, became the first Indian woman to secure the Chess World Cup in Georgia as she defeated the veteran Koneru Humpy in the final via tiebreaks to become the FIDE Women's World Cup Champion 2025 and India's 88th Grandmaster on July 28, Monday. She won 1.5-0.5 and the final started with both classical games on Saturday and Sunday finishing up in draws. Overcome with emotion, she broke down in tears. Her mother stood by her side as she gave a brief post-match interview, explaining that she needed time to absorb the moment. She stated, 'I need time to process it (win). I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this (tournament) I didn't even have one (GM) norm, and now I am the Grandmaster.' One of the users said, 'Pride of Nagpur, Glory of India! Maharashtra honours a true chess queen—Divya Deshmukh.' Another stated, 'Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on her amazing achievements at such a young age! #Inspiring #ChessChampion.' 'It's been a phenomenal day for Indian Chess! Her accomplishment will motivate many people and contribute to chess becoming even more popular among the youth', 'Congratulations Divya Deshmukh. Great maiden achievement', 'Absolutely brilliant' were some other comments made. PM Modi said, 'It's been a phenomenal day for Indian Chess! Divya Deshmukh has not only won the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup but also become a Grandmaster. Congratulations to her. Her accomplishment will motivate many people and contribute to chess becoming even more popular among the youth.' Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway also congratulated her, stating, 'This is a moment of joy and pride not only for Nagpur and Maharashtra, but also for the entire country." Throughout her career, Divya Deshmukh has secured multiple gold medals at the World Junior Championships, Asian Championship, and World Youth Championship. A native of Nagpur, she is regarded as one of the prominent figures in Indian chess.
News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
'Indian Chess Is Just Unbelievable': Legend Lauds Divya Deshmukh After World Cup Win
Last Updated: Judit Polgar has praised Indian teenager Divya Deshmukh for winning the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup, beating Koneru Humpy. Hungarian chess Grandmaster and one of the best women's players of all time, Judit Polgar, on Monday, lauded Indian teenager Divya Deshmukh, who got the better of compatriot and the country's No. 1 women's chess player Koneru Humpy to win the third edition of the World Cup. The win against Humpy not just earned Divya the prestigious title, but made her a Grandmaster as well, something which looked improbable when she began the event. The win against Humpy for Divya came after the two classical matches played on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 ended in draws. 'Congrats to @DivyaDeshmukh05, who has clinched the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup title, defeating her compatriot Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak. Indian chess is just unbelievable! But do not forget: it has reasons.😉#ChessConnectsUs #India," Polgar tweeted on Monday evening. After the drawn matches, it was the first set of tiebreakers that proved decisive as Humpy lost the battle of nerves. Except for the World Cup and the Women's World Championship, Humpy has won everything under the sun, but, as fate would have it, the World Cup title eluded her again. Deshmukh showcased resolve on Monday and the bonus for the determination was the Grandmaster title, reserved for the champion of this tournament. Deshmukh is now the fourth Indian woman player to achieve the Grandmaster feat after Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R Vaishali. Humpy, now 38, earned her Grandmaster title back in 2002, three years before Divya was even born in 2005. The latter has since become India's 88th Grandmaster and if she maintains her determination, there is no doubt she can scale even greater heights. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
39 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Women's Copa America: Paraguay beats Chile to secure fifth place and spot in 2027 Pan Am Games
A stunning stoppage-time strike from Camila Arrieta handed Paraguay a dramatic 1-0 victory over Chile in Monday's Women's Copa America fifth-place playoff in Quito, securing the final berth for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima. The victory sends Paraguay to its fourth Pan Am Games, where it will aim to surpass its best-ever fourth-place finish from Lima 2019. 'It was a difficult match,' the 23-year-old Arrieta said after the game. 'We know what Chile are capable of, but we managed to get through the game and we deserved this victory.' Chile dominated possession but failed to create clear-cut chances, while Paraguay stayed compact and looked threatening on the counter-attack through tournament-leading scorer Claudia Martinez. ALSO READ: England to celebrate back-to-back European titles with open-top bus parade Just as the match appeared destined for penalties, Arrieta broke the deadlock two minutes into stoppage time, her precise low drive deflecting off the post before nestling into the net to seal a hard-fought triumph. 'I had chances to shoot at goal earlier in the game, but I couldn't convert them. I kept trying,' Arrieta said. 'After all the hard work we've put in, this means a lot to us. We'll prepare as best we can for the World Cup qualifiers.' Later on Monday, Argentina will face Colombia in the first semifinal of the tournament, with an Olympic spot at stake. Defending champion Brazil takes on Uruguay in Tuesday's second semi-final.
