India to host 2025 Chess World Cup

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) - India is set to host this year's Chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27, with the specific host city to be announced later, the worldwide governing body for chess, FIDE, declared on Monday.

This prestigious tournament will feature 206 players who will not only vie for the esteemed title but also compete for qualification spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. The last time India hosted this event was in 2002 in Hyderabad, where Viswanathan Anand took home the victory.

Players will face off in a knockout format where each losing competitor is eliminated from further contention.

"Over the years, the event has experimented with various formats, but since 2021, it has adopted a single-elimination format. Each matchup lasts three days, consisting of two classical games on the first two days and, if needed, tie-breaks on the third day," clarified FIDE.

During the initial round, the top 50 players automatically proceed to the next stage, while those seeded between 51 and 206 will compete in matchups based on the principle of the top half being paired against the reversed lower half.

"The top three finishers in the 2025 World Cup will secure direct spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which ultimately selects the challenger for the World Chess Championship," FIDE added.

The 2023 World Cup runner-up, R Praggnanandhaa, reigning world champion D Gukesh, and Arjun Erigaisi, currently ranked world number five, are among the luminaries scheduled to compete. World number one Magnus Carlsen is also set to participate in this biennial event, having previously clinched the title in 2023.

India has recently become a hotbed for major chess events, having hosted the 2022 Chess Olympiad, Tata Steel Chess India, the 2024 World Junior U20 Championships, and the 5th leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in April this year.

"We are thrilled to bring the FIDE World Cup 2025 to India, a nation with an entrenched love and enthusiasm for chess. Indian chess enthusiasts are always passionately engaged, and we anticipate substantial interest in the event both in-person and online," expressed FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky in a press release.

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