India to host FIDE Chess World Cup in October-November

India will host this 12 months’s chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27 with a number metropolis for the occasion to be named in “due course”, the game’s world governing physique FIDE introduced on Monday (July 21, 2025).

The event that can see 206 gamers battling for the coveted title and qualification spots within the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. India final hosted the occasion in 2002 in Hyderabad the place Viswanathan Anand gained the title.

The gamers will compete in a knockout format, the place the dropping participant in every spherical is eradicated.

“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 said.

In the primary spherical, the highest 50 gamers obtain byes, whereas gamers seeded from 51 to 206 compete, with pairings based mostly on the precept of the highest half versus the reversed decrease 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 stated.

Reigning world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, the runner-up of the 2023 World Cup, and Arjun Erigaisi, presently ranked world quantity 5, are among the many stars who could be seen in motion. World primary Magnus Carlsen has additionally certified to compete within the biennial occasion that he gained in 2023.

India has not too long ago hosted main occasions, together with the 2022 Chess Olympiad, Tata Steel Chess India, the 2024 World Junior U20 Championships 2024, and the fifth leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in April this 12 months.

“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 stated in a press launch.