India To Host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 After 23 Years; Tournament Dates Announced

India will host the prestigious FIDE Chess World Cup for the first time in 23 years, marking a major milestone for the country's chess community. The tournament is officially scheduled to be held from October 30 to November 27, 2025, as confirmed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

A total of 206 players will compete in the event, which will be held in a knockout format. In each round, the losing player is eliminated. The format includes eight rounds, with each featuring two classical games per player. Each participant will have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, along with a 30-second increment per move.

Since 2021, the World Cup has adopted a single-elimination format, with each round spanning three days-two days for the classical games and the third for tie-breaks, if necessary. The top 50 seeded players receive byes in the first round, while the remaining players-seeded 51 to 206-compete in matchups based on a top-half versus bottom-half pairing system.

Candidates Qualification on the Line

This edition of the World Cup carries added significance, as the top three finishers will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament-a critical step toward challenging for the world championship.

World Cup 2025 Qualification Criteria

The participants for the World Cup can qualify through various channels, 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 U20 Champion

Top-rated players from the June 2025 FIDE standard rating list

India's Chess Legacy and Hosting Experience

India previously hosted the Chess World Cup in 2002 in Hyderabad, and has recently been a hub for top-level chess events. These include the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022, Tata Steel Chess India, the FIDE World Junior U20 Championship 2024, and the 5th leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in April 2025.

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky expressed his excitement, stating,

"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."

He also mentioned that FIDE is planning several side events featuring participating players and legendary figures from the world of chess.

The host city for the World Cup 2025 is yet to be announced and will be revealed in due course.