The FIDE World Cup finally has its host city with the global governing body of chess announcing Goa to be the official host on Tuesday. The World Cup will be played from October 30 to November 27. However, 5-time champion Magnus Carlsen is not likely to participate in the event. Initially, India’s capital New Delhi was being touted as a host venue, but there were concerns about it, which led to a rethink.
What FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said?
“India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans. After the success of the FIDE Women’s World Cup held in Georgia earlier this year, we are proud to bring the FIDE World Cup to Goa. It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world. The representatives of 90+ countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history,” as per FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
What AICF president Niting Narang said
“This is a proud moment for Indian chess, and we are committed to delivering an event that reflects both the passion of our fans and the professionalism of our federation. The World Cup will not only inspire millions across the country but also showcase India’s growing stature as a global hub for chess. We are deeply thankful to FIDE for granting India the honor of hosting the World Cup 2025 in Goa,” AICF President Nitin Narang said.
🔥 The FIDE World Cup 2025 is coming to Goa! 🇮🇳
🗓️ From October 30 to November 27, 2025, the world’s top players will gather on India’s west coast for one of the most exciting chess events.
🎯 Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic… pic.twitter.com/Kb4Pp5thln
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 26, 2025
As per FIDE, at least 21 Indians have qualified for the tournament out of the 206. However, this list includes names like five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is semi-retired and is also FIDE Deputy President, and reigning world champion Gukesh.
The other Indian players are: Praggnanandhaa R (courtesy of being World Cup 2023 second place finisher), Arjun Erigaisi (as per rating list in June 2025), Aravindh Chithambaram (June 2025 rating list), Nihal Sarin, Iniyan Pa, Raja Rithvik R, Narayanan SL, Pranesh M, Harshavardhan GB, Karthikeyan Murali, Idani Pouya, Karthik Venkataraman, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Neelash Saha, Diptayan Ghosh, Aromyak Ghosh, Himal Gusain, Lalit Babu MR (all via continental spots) and Vidit Gujrathi (via Chess Olympiad spot).
What is the format of the World Cup?
The FIDE World Cup 2025 will feature 206 players competing in a head-to-head, two-game knockout format over eight rounds. Each round spans three days: two classical games (between two players) on the first two days, followed by tie-breaks on the third day, if necessary.
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 FIDE World Cup is the event that offers the top three finishers direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.
