Panaji, Oct 30: A strong Indian contingent, led by World Champion Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, and the entire Olympiad-winning squad will once again look to assert the country's supremacy on the world stage as they compete for the coveted FIDE World Cup 2025 crown here starting from Saturday (November 1).
The FIDE World Cup, one of the most prestigious global chess events, is being held in India after a gap of 23 years. In these two decades, Indian chess players have made remarkable progress, with the country now boasting more than 85 Grandmasters, nearly eight times more than it did when the World Cup was last staged in India.
Top Contenders and Seedings
In this edition, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM R Praggnanandhaa have been given the top three seedings,
while every 10th chess player in the 206-strong field will be an Indian. Dutch GM Anish Giri will be the highest-ranked foreign player at No. 4.
Two-time former champion Levon Aronian of the USA will be the only past winner in action in Goa and has been seeded 15th. Meanwhile, reigning champion GM Magnus Carlsen won't be defending his title, while 2021 winner GM Jan-Krzystof Duda of Poland has opted out.
Format and Qualification
The FIDE World Cup 2025, which carries a prize purse of $2,000,000, will follow a single-elimination knockout format. Each round will have two classical games followed by a tiebreaker if required. The tiebreaker will consist of two Rapid Games, and if still tied, a single-bidding Armageddon will decide the winner.
The event also offers three spots for the Candidates 2026, which will determine Gukesh's next World Championship challenger.
Indian Challenge and Key Matches
Among the Indian stars, third seed Praggnanandhaa, runner-up in 2023, will look to go one better on home turf. He is likely to face 126th-ranked Jan Subelj of Slovakia in the second round, with compatriot Raunak Sadhwani a potential third-round opponent.
Gukesh's second-round opponent is expected to be Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan, while Arjun Erigaisi may take on Krikor Mekhitarian of Brazil at the same stage.
Other top Indians include Vidit Gujrathi, P Harikrishna, Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, and Karthikeyan Murali, all starting from Round 2.
Women's Entry and Young Prodigies
FIDE Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh will be the only woman in the field after receiving a wildcard entry. The Nagpur-born GM will open against Greek GM Stamatis Kourkoulos Arditis, and if successful, could meet compatriot Nihal Sarin in the next round.
Argentinian prodigy Faustino Oro, a 12-year-old International Master, will be the youngest participant, facing Croatian GM Ante Brkic in Round 1. There are 30 teenagers in the competition, while Georgia-born GM Igor Efimov, 65, will be the oldest competitor.
Top Players by ELO Rating (October 2025)
| Rank | Player | Country | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D. Gukesh | India | 2789 |
| 2 | Arjun Erigaisi | India | 2774 |
| 3 | R. Praggnanandhaa | India | 2769 |
| 4 | Vincent Keymer | Germany | 2768 |
| 5 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2764 |
| 6 | Wesley So | USA | 2759 |
| 7 | Levon Aronian | USA | 2757 |
| 8 | Wei Yi | China | 2752 |
| 9 | Richard Rapport | Hungary | 2746 |
| 10 | Vidit Gujrathi | India | 2743 |
Prize Money Breakdown
| Stage | Prize (per player) | Cumulative Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Round (Losers) | $3,500 | $273,000 |
| 2nd Round (Losers) | $6,000 | $300,000 |
| 3rd Round (Losers) | $10,000 | $320,000 |
| 4th Round (Losers) | $15,000 | $240,000 |
| Quarterfinals (Losers) | $25,000 | $100,000 |
| Semifinals (Losers) | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Runner-up | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Winner | $120,000 | $120,000 |
Venue and Live Streaming Details
The event is being hosted at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. Tickets for the first two rounds are available on BookMyShow.
Fans can follow the live broadcast on AICF, ChessBase India, and Chess.com (English & Hindi commentary), while FIDE's official YouTube channel will stream matches with international commentary.
