India to Host Chess World Cup 2025 from October 30 to November 27

New Delhi: India will host the prestigious FIDE Chess World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place from October 30 to November 27, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced on Monday.

The host city for the event will be revealed soon, FIDE added.

The top three finishers of the 2025 World Cup will secure direct entry into the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which will determine the next challenger for the World Chess Championship.

“The prestigious FIDE World Cup is coming to India this year! Set for October 30 to November 27, 2025, the tournament will bring together the world’s top players competing for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament,” FIDE said in its official statement. “Further details, including the announcement of the host city, will follow shortly.”

India has recently emerged as a prominent host of major international chess events, including the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022, Tata Steel Chess India, the FIDE World Junior U20 Championships 2024, and the 5th leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix (April 2025).

The 2025 edition of the FIDE World Cup will feature 206 players competing in a knockout format. In this high-stakes system, each match eliminates one player, making the tournament both intense and unpredictable.

Since 2021, the World Cup has adopted a single-elimination format, where each round spans three days—two classical games on the first two days and tie-breaks on the third, if needed.

In the opening round, the top 50 seeded players receive a bye, while players ranked 51 to 206 face off. Pairings are arranged so that the top half of the draw faces the reversed lower half.

“We are excited to bring the FIDE World Cup 2025 to India, a country with a deep-rooted love for chess,” said FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. “Indian chess fans have always shown extraordinary enthusiasm, and we expect strong interest both at the venue and online. To enrich the experience, FIDE plans to host numerous side events featuring top players and chess legends.”

With inputs from IANS