With a super wave of young prodigies, historic team triumphs, and a passionate fan base, India is set to host the FIDE World Cup 2025 this year from 30th October to 27th November. More than just a venue, India today is the heartbeat of world chess, and fans are already super excited now! The exact location is unknown. The World Cup is one of the rare events where a nation’s top players get the chance to compete against the world’s elite – a unique opportunity usually seen at the Olympiad. It’s where rising stars can challenge legends, and every game holds the promise of a breakthrough. Read the complete article to know more details.
Event Format of World Cup 2025
The FIDE World Cup 2025 will bring together 206 players in a high-stakes knockout format, an intense and unpredictable battle where each round sends one player home, and only the strongest will proceed.
World Cup 2025 Format (Photo: FIDE)
Qualification Process and Paths
Players can qualify for the World Cup through various avenues, including:
- Reigning World Champion as of June 1, 2025
- Top four finishers from the FIDE World Cup 2023
- Reigning Women’s World Champion as of June 1, 2025
- 2024 World Junior Champion U-20
Photo: FIDE
- Qualifiers from Continental events, accounting for 80 spots
- The highest-rated players in the June 2025 FIDE standard rating list, 13 players, who have not qualified by any of the above listed path
- Top 100 national federations from the 2024 Chess Olympiad open section, each receiving one spot
- 4 nominees of the FIDE President
- 2 nominees of the Organiser
How many Indians have qualified?
20 Indians have already qualified* for the FIDE World Cup 2025 including:
- GM Gukesh D
- GM R Praggnanandhaa
- GM Erigaisi, Arjun
- GM Aravindh, Chithambaram VR
- GM Anand, Viswanathan
- GM Nihal Sarin
- GM Iniyan Pa
- GM Raja Rithvik R
- GM Narayanan S L
- GM Pranesh M
- GM Harshavardhan G B
- GM Karthikeyan, Murali
- GM Karthik Venkataraman
- GM Surya Ganguly
- IM Neelash Saha
- GM Diptayan Ghosh
- IM Aromyak Ghosh
- IM Himal Gusain
- GM Lalit Rohit
- GM Vidit Gujrathi
Complete list of Qualified Players
*The final list of Players who will play will be finally published on FIDE site later.
The High Stakes of the World Cup
The FIDE World Cup isn’t just about glory – it’s a gateway to the highest stage in chess. The top three finishers will secure direct spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the crucial event that decides who will challenge for the World Chess Championship.
As India prepares to welcome the chess world, the FIDE World Cup 2025 promises not only thrilling matchups but also a celebration of how far the game has come – and where it’s heading.
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CircleChess is a rapidly growing global chess platform that combines competitive play, structured learning, and cutting-edge technology. With a community of over 1,00,000 chess players, it has emerged as one of the leading forces in the online chess ecosystem.
The platform is guided by some of the finest minds in the chess world. World Champion D. Gukesh serves as the Brand Ambassador, while Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, the coach behind Gukesh’s remarkable rise, is the Chief Chess Officer, bringing strategic depth and vision to the platform’s chess initiatives. Through its Caissa School of Chess, CircleChess offers structured, top-coach-led Live Training programs for players across all levels. The school has garnered significant traction globally and is now Available in the USA, making high-quality chess education accessible to a wider audience.
