Finance
India will host the Chess World Cup for the first time in 23 years. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) revealed today that the tournament will take place from October 30 to November 27 of this year. The major event will include 206 players competing in a knockout system, with a losing contender eliminated after each round.
Format
The World Cup will feature 206 participants and will be divided into eight rounds, each consisting of two games. The players will be given 90 minutes for the first 40 moves of the match, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game. Notably, participants will receive a 30-second increment every move based on when they make a move.
Several alternative forms have previously been used at the major event, but since 2021, it has used a single-elimination structure. Each round lasts three days, with two classical games on the first two days and tie-breaks on the third, if necessary. Interestingly, in the first round, top 50 players receive byes while the rest, seeded from 51 to 206, compete. Matches are contested based on the principle of the top half versus bottom half.
Candidates spots also up for grabs
The World Cup is also massive for the top players as the top three finishers of the mega event will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
What are qualification paths?
There are different qualification pathways for the World Cup as below:
1. Reigning World Champion as of June 1, 2025
2. Top four finishers from the FIDE World Cup 2023
3. Reigning Women’s World Champion as of June 1, 2025
4. 2024 World Junior Champion U20
Moreover, the highest rated players in June 2025 FIDE standard rating list also qualify for the World Cup directly.
India – A Chess powerhouse
The last time India hosted the Chess World Cup was in 2002 in Hyderabad. The country has recently hosted big tournaments such as the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022, Tata Steel Chess India, the FIDE World Junior U20 Championships 2024, and the fifth leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix (April 2025).
FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky was excited while making the announcement and said, “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. To enhance the experience, FIDE is committed to organizing numerous side events, featuring tournament participants and chess legends.” Meanwhile, the host city for the World Cup is yet to be finalised and it will be confirmed in the due course.
Source: InTv
