Chess World Cup 2025

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FIDE Chess World Cup 2025
Tournament information
SportChess
LocationGoa, India
Dates31 October 2025–27 November 2025
AdministratorFIDE
Tournament
format(s)
Single-elimination tournament
Host(s)All India Chess Federation
Participants206
← 2023
2027 →

The Chess World Cup 2025 is an upcoming 206-player, single-elimination chess tournament that will take place in Goa, India, from 31 October to 27 November 2025.[1][2][3] It will be the 11th edition of the Chess World Cup. The winner, runner-up, and third place finisher will earn the right to play in the Candidates Tournament 2026. This edition is the first since the inaugural Women's Chess World Cup in 2021 that will not be held in parallel with the women's event, which was instead held in Georgia earlier in the year.[4]

Format

[edit]

The tournament will be an eight-round knockout event, with the top 50 seeds given a bye into the second round. The losers of the two semi-finals will play a match for third place. The players who finish first, second, and third will qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2026, a tournament to decide the challenger for the upcoming World Championship.[5][6]

Each round will consist of classical time limit games on the first two days, plus tie-breaks on the third day if they are required. The time limits are as follows:

Two classical time limit games consisting of 90 minutes each side for the first 40 moves, then 30 extra minutes for the rest of the game, plus a 30-second increment per move starting from move 1. If necessary, rapid format tie-breaks will be conducted on the third day of each round.[5]

Schedule

[edit]

Each round will last three days: two for classical time control games and a third, if necessary, for tie-breaks. Rounds 1 to 3 will run from 1 to 9 November; 10 November is a rest day; Rounds 4 to 6 will run from 11 to 19 November; 20 November is a rest day; and the last two rounds will run from 21 to 26 November.

Prize money

[edit]

The total prize fund is US$2,000,000, with the first prize of US$120,000.

Prize money in US dollars
Ranking Prizes Total
Eliminated in Round 1
78 × 3,500
273,000
Eliminated in Round 2
64 × 7,000
448,000
Eliminated in Round 3
32 × 11,000
352,000
Eliminated in Round 4
16 × 17,000
272,000
Eliminated in Round 5
8 × 25,000
200,000
Eliminated in Round 6
4 × 35,000
140,000
4th place
1 × 50,000
50,000
3rd place
1 × 60,000
60,000
Runner-up
1 × 85,000
85,000
Winner
1 × 120,000
120,000
Total
2,000,000

Participants

[edit]

The participants will be seeded according to their last FIDE rating before the pairings are announced, except for Gukesh Dommaraju, who will be seeded first as the reigning World Chess Champion. The current qualifiers, sorted by their FIDE rating of September 2025, are the following: (All players are grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.)[7]

  1.  Gukesh Dommaraju (IND), 2767 (World Champion)
  2.  R Praggnanandhaa (IND), 2785 (WC)
  3.  Arjun Erigaisi (IND), 2771 (R)
  4.  Wesley So (USA), 2756 (R)
  5.  Wei Yi (CHN), 2753 (R)
  6.  Vincent Keymer (GER), 2751 (R)
  7.  Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), 2748 (R)
  8.  Anish Giri (NED), 2746 (R)
  9.  Levon Aronian (USA), 2744 (Z2.1)
  10.  Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE), 2742 (R)
  11.  Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), 2741 (R)
  12.  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA), 2738 (R)
  13.  Hans Niemann (USA), 2733 (Z2.1)
  14.  Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO), 2731 (E24)
  15.  Lê Quang Liêm (VIE), 2729 (R)
  16.  Javokhir Sindarov (UZB), 2722 (R)
  17.  Yu Yangyi (CHN), 2714 (R)
  18.  Vidit Gujrathi (IND), 2712 (R)
  19.  Aravindh Chithambaram (IND), 2711 (R)
  20.  Richard Rapport (HUN), 2711 (R)
  21.  Pentala Harikrishna (IND), 2704 (FN)
  22.  Awonder Liang (USA), 2698 (Z2.1)
  23.  Nihal Sarin (IND), 2693 (AS25)
  24.  Samuel Sevian (USA), 2692 (Z2.1)
  25.  Jorden van Foreest (NED), 2692 (E25)
  26.  Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI), 2692 (FN)
  27.  Daniil Dubov (FIDE), 2691 (Z3.8)
  28.  Andrey Esipenko (FIDE), 2687 (Z3.8)
  29.  Alexey Sarana (SER), 2686 (FN)
  30.  Bu Xiangzhi (CHN), 2684 (FN)
  31.  Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB), 2681 (FN)
  32.  Ray Robson (USA), 2674 (Z2.1)
  33.  Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU), 2674 (E24)
  34.  Kirill Alekseenko (AUT), 2674 (PN)
  35.  Matthias Blübaum (GER), 2671 (E25)
  36.  Volodar Murzin (FIDE), 2670 (PN)
  37.  Sam Shankland (USA), 2670 (AM25)
  38.  Karthikeyan Murali (IND), 2669 (AS25)
  39.  Peter Leko (HUN), 2666 (FN)
  40.  Nikita Vitiugov (ENG), 2666 (E24)
  41.  Vladislav Artemiev (FIDE), 2664 (Z3.8)
  42.  Radoslaw Wojtaszek (POL), 2661 (FN)
  43.  Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE), 2660 (FN)
  44.  Grigoriy Oparin (USA), 2660 (FN)
  45.  Ivan Šarić (CRO), 2655 (E25)
  46.  Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (NOR), 2655 (FN)
  47.  Shant Sargsyan (ARM), 2653 (E25)
  48.  David Navara (CZE), 2653 (E25)
  49.  Rauf Mamedov (AZE), 2651 (E24)
  50.  Aleksandar Inđić (SRB), 2650 (E24)
  51.  Daniil Yuffa (ESP), 2648 (E24)
  52.  Nils Grandelius (SWE), 2648 (FN)
  53.  Dmitrij Kollars (GER), 2647 (FN)
  54.  Michael Adams (ENG), 2646 (FN)
  55.  Benjamin Gledura (HUN), 2646 (E25)
  56.  Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR), 2646 (E25)
  57.  Nikolas Theodorou (GRE), 2646 (FN)
  58.  Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB), 2645 (AS25)
  59.  Maxim Rodshtein (ISR), 2645 (E25)
  60.  Frederik Svane (GER), 2643 (E24)
  61.  Jeffery Xiong (USA), 2640 (AM24)
  62.  Salem Saleh (UAE), 2640 (FN)
  63.  José Martínez Alcántara (MEX), 2639 (AM25)
  64.  Maksim Chigaev (ESP), 2638 (E24)
  65.  Étienne Bacrot (FRA), 2637 (FN)
  66.  Bassem Amin (EGY), 2636 (AF24)
  67.  Ediz Gürel (TUR), 2631 (E25)
  68.  Aryan Tari (NOR), 2631 (E25)
  69.  Velimir Ivić (SRB), 2630 (E24)
  70.  Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM), 2629 (E24)
  71.  Haik Martirosyan (ARM), 2628 (E25)
  72.  Ivan Cheparinov (BUL), 2627 (E24)
  73.  Gabriel Sargissian (ARM), 2626 (E24)
  74.  David Antón Guijarro (ESP), 2625 (FN)
  75.  Daniel Dardha (BEL), 2624 (E24)
  76.  Alexander Donchenko (GER), 2624 (E24)
  77.  Rasmus Svane (GER), 2620 (E24)
  78.  Evgeniy Najer (FIDE), 2613 (Z3.8)
  79.  Abhimanyu Mishra (USA), 2611 (PN)
  80.  Pranesh M (IND), 2611 (AS25)
  81.  Maxime Lagarde (FRA), 2609 (E25)
  82.  Vasily Ivanchuk (UKR), 2608 (FN)
  83.  Aydin Suleymanli (AZE), 2602 (FN)
  84.  Pouya Idani (IRI), 2599 (Z3.1)
  85.  P Iniyan (IND), 2599 (AS25)
  86.  Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI), 2598 (Z3.1)
  87.  Bobby Cheng (AUS), 2596 (FN)
  88.  Georg Meier (URU), 2596 (FN)
  89.  Alexander Motylev (ROU), 2595 (E24)
  90.  Cristobal Henriquez Villagra (CHI), 2594 (AM24)
  91.  Jorge Cori (PER), 2594 (FN)
  92.  Ante Brkić (CRO), 2594 (FN)
  93.  Max Warmerdam (NED), 2591 (FN)
  94.  S L Narayanan (IND), 2591 (AS25)
  95.  Niclas Huschenbeth (GER), 2591 (E25)
  96.  Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR), 2591 (FN)
  97.  Baadur Jobava (GEO), 2590 (E25)
  98.  Ahmed Adly (EGY), 2589 (AF25)
  99.  Nijat Abasov (AZE), 2587 (WC)
  100.  Ivan Zemlyanskii (FIDE), 2586 (AS25)
  101.  Arseniy Nesterov (FIDE), 2584 (Z3.8)
  102.  Arturs Neiksans (LAT), 2584 (FN)
  103.  Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (GRE), 2583 (E25)
  104.  Mateusz Bartel (POL), 2581 (E24)
  105.  Constantin Lupulescu (ROU), 2578 (E24)
  106.  Bai Jinshi (CHN), 2578 (Z3.5)
  107.  Tin Jingyao (SGP), 2577 (Z3.3)
  108.  Gergely Kantor (HUN), 2576 (E25)
  109.  Diptayan Ghosh (IND), 2573 (Z3.7)
  110.  Luis Paulo Supi (BRA), 2573 (FN)
  111.  Surya Shekhar Ganguly (IND), 2573 (Z3.7)
  112.  Karthik Venkataraman (IND), 2571 (Z3.7)
  113.  Nikita Petrov (MNE), 2569 (FN)
  114.  Alexandr Fier (BRA), 2569 (AM25)
  115.  Kacper Piorun (POL), 2568 (E24)
  116.  Lorenzo Lodici (ITA), 2560 (FN)
  117.  Sebastian Bogner (SUI), 2558 (FN)
  118.  Diego Flores (ARG), 2558 (FN)
  119.  Andy Woodward (USA), 2557 (PN)
  120.  Vladislav Kovalev (FIDE), 2557 (E24)
  121.  Emre Can (TUR), 2552 (E24)
  122.  Titas Stremavičius (LTU), 2548 (FN)
  123.  Krikor Mekhitarian (BRA), 2545 (Z2.4)
  124.  Jan Šubelj (SLO), 2545 (FN)
  125.  Kazybek Nogerbek (KAZ), 2543 (U20)
  126.  Raja Rithvik R (IND), 2541 (AS25)
  127.  Paul Velten (FRA), 2536 (E25)
  128.  Bojan Maksimović (BIH), 2536 (FN)
  129.  Temur Kuybokarov (AUS), 2535 (Z3.6)
  130.  Martin Petrov (BUL), 2533 (FN)
  131.  Sergei Lobanov (FIDE), 2526 (AS25)
  132.  Denis Makhnev (KAZ), 2525 (FN)
  133.  Jose Cardoso Cardoso (COL), 2524 (AM25)
  134.  Ahmad Ahmadzada (AZE), 2523 (E25)
  135.  Read Samadov (AZE), IM, 2523 (E25)
  136.  Kirk Ghazarian (USA), 2518 (AM24)
  137.  Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux (CAN), 2516 (FN)
  138.  Peng Xiongjian (CHN), 2515 (Z3.5)
  139.  Aronyak Ghosh (IND), IM, 2514 (Z3.7)
  140.  Felix Blohberger (AUT), 2513 (FN)
  141.  Mircea-Emilian Parligras (ROU), 2503 (FN)
  142.  Roberto Garcia Pantoja (COL), 2502 (AM24)
  143.  Lalit Babu MR (IND), 2502 (Z3.7)
  144.  Sion Galaviz (MEX), IM, 2498 (Z2.3.1)
  145.  Adham Fawzy (EGY), 2495 (FN)
  146.  Saparmyrat Atabayev (TKM), 2494 (FN)
  147.  Bilel Bellahcene (ALG), 2492 (AF25)
  148.  Alisher Suleymenov (KAZ), 2491 (Z3.4)
  149.  Santiago Avila Pavas (COL), 2490 (FN)
  150.  Karen H Grigoryan (ARM), 2485 (FN)
  151.  Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov (UZB), IM, 2482 (Z3.4)
  152.  Levan Pantsulaia (GEO), 2480 (FN)
  153.  Jegor Lashkin (MDA), 2480 (FN)
  154.  Divya Deshmukh (IND), 2478 (PN)
  155.  Himal Gusain (IND), IM, 2477 (Z3.7)
  156.  G B Harshavardhan (IND), IM, 2476 (AS25)
  157.  Aldiyar Ansat (KAZ), IM, 2471 (Z3.4)
  158.  Jagadeesh Siddharth (SGP), 2468 (FN)
  159.  Neelash Saha (IND), IM, 2466 (Z3.7)
  160.  Faustino Oro (ARG), IM, 2464 (PN)
  161.  Dylan Isidro Berdayes Ason (CUB), 2456 (FN)
  162.  Kevin Cori Quispe (MEX), 2453 (FN)
  163.  Pablo Salinas Herrera (CHI), 2451 (FN)
  164.  Uurtsaikh Agibileg (MGL), IM, 2449 (Z3.3)
  165.  Banh Gia Huy (VIE), IM, 2440 (FN)
  166.  Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo (MAD), 2438 (FN)
  167.  Steven Rojas (PER), IM, 2424 (Z2.4)
  168.  Prin Laohawirapap (THA), IM, 2423 (FN)
  169.  Ranindu Liyanage (SRI), IM, 2423 (FN)
  170.  Daniel Quizon (PHI), 2420 (FN)
  171.  Facundo Vazquez (URU), IM, 2419 (Z2.5)
  172.  Mohammad Fahad Rahman (BAN), IM, 2416 (FN)
  173.  Tran Thanh Tu (JPN), IM, 2412 (FN)
  174.  Ilan Schnaider (ARG), IM, 2409 (Z2.5)
  175.  Wang Shixu (CHN), IM, 2407 (Z3.5)
  176.  Shiyam Thavandiran (CAN), IM, 2402 (Z2.2)
  177.  Ganzorig Amartuvshin (MGL), IM, 2398 (FN)
  178.  Satria Duta Cahaya (INA), FM, 2393 (FN)
  179.  Angel Cordoba Roa (COL), FM, 2387 (Z2.3.2)
  180.  Farai Mandizha (ZIM), IM, 2375 (FN)
  181.  Eldiar Orozbaev (KGZ), IM, 2375 (FN)
  182.  Satbek Akhmedinov (KAZ), IM, 2372 (Z3.4)
  183.  Manon Reja Neer (BAN), IM, 2369 (Z3.2)
  184.  Chitumbo Mwali (ZAM), IM, 2364 (FN)
  185.  Jacques Elbilia (MAR), FM, 2332 (FN)
  186.  Igor Efimov (MCO), 2331 (Z1.10)
  187.  Jaloliddin Ilkhomi (TJK), FM, 2322 (FN)
  188.  Mohan Kavin (MAS), FM, 2309 (FN)
  189.  Orlando Husbands (BAR), IM, 2291 (Z2.3.3)
  190.  Daniel Barrish (RSA), FM, 2284
  191.  Bomo Kigigha (NGR), FM, 2263 (FN)
  192.  Akar Ali Salih Salih (IRQ), FM, 2212 (FN)
  193.  Zoubaier Amdouni (TUN), FM, 2186 (FN)
  194.  Ala Edienne Boulrens (ALG), untitled, 2174 (FN)
  195.  Isaak Huh (KOR), CM, 2139 (FN)
  196.  Khalid Mafaaz (PAK), CM, 2118 (FN)
  197.  Mohamed Allam (PLE), CM, 2112 (FN)
  198.  Ahmed Abdulla Al-Rehily (KSA), FM, 2109 (FN)
  199.  Heskiel Ndahangwapo (NAM) CM, 2081 (FN)
  200.  Oscar Qin (NZL), CM, 2078 (FN)
  201.  Gabriel Sapalo (ANG), untitled, 2048 (FN)
  202.  Li Yiheng (HKG), CM, 1994 (FN)
  203.  Nagi Abugenda (LBA), CM, 1972 (FN)

Qualifier explanation

[edit]

The following 206 players qualified, or will qualify, for the World Cup:[5]

  • The world chess champion as of 1 June 2025
  • The women's world chess champion as of 1 June 2025 (WWC)
  • The top four players in the Chess World Cup 2023 (WC)
  • The 2024 World Junior Champion U20 (U20)
  • 100 players qualifying from Continental and Zonal events:
    • Europe (30+11) including European Championships 2024 (E24, 20) and 2025 (E25, 20), and Zonal 1.10 (Z1.10, 1)
    • Americas (12+9) including American Continental Championships 2024 (AM24, 4) and 2025 (AM25, 4), and Zonals 2.1 (Z2.1, 5), 2.2 (Z2.2, 1), 2.3.1 (Z2.3.1, 1), 2.3.2 (Z2.3.2, 1), 2.3.3 (Z2.3.3, 1), 2.4 (Z2.4, 2), and 2.5 (Z2.5, 2)
    • Asia (35) including Asian Championships 2025 (AS25, 10), and Zonals 3.1 (Z3.1, 2), 3.2 (Z3.2, 1), 3.3 (Z3.3, 2), 3.4 (Z3.4, 4), 3.5 (Z3.5, 3), 3.6 (Z3.6, 1), 3.7 (Z3.7, 7), and 3.8 (Z3.8, 5)
    • Africa (3) including African Championships 2024 (AF24, 1) and 2025 (AF25, 2)
  • The 13 highest rated players from the June 2025 FIDE World Rankings[a] (R)
  • 80 federation spots selected according to the final standings of the 45th Chess Olympiad (FN)[8]
  • 4 nominees of the FIDE president (PN)
  • 2 nominees of the organiser (ON)

Afghanistan and Chinese Taipei did not nominate a player, and two additional Presidential Nominees were invited instead.

Replacements

[edit]

The following are the players from the list of qualifiers[7] who declined to play[citation needed], and their replacements:

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Players who appear inactive at least once in the 6 FIDE rating lists from January to June 2025 are not eligible.
  2. ^ Hans Niemann initially qualified by rating but his pathway was changed to U.S. Championship after Dominguez withdrew, thereby Sindarov claiming his rating spot.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "India to host FIDE World Cup in 2025; three Candidates spots up for grabs". The Indian Express. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  2. ^ "FIDE World Cup to take place in India". Chess News. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  3. ^ "FIDE World Cup 2025 heads to Goa, India". fide.com. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. ^ "India to Host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025, Marking a Major Milestone". 23 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "2025 World Cup regulations, FIDE" (PDF).
  6. ^ "FIDE World Championship Cycle". International Chess Federation (FIDE). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Participants – FIDE World Cup 2025". Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Olympiad qualification spots for 2025 World Cup and Women's World Cup announced".