India will host one of the most prestigious chess tournaments, the FIDE World Cup this year. The grand event is said to run over the course of a month, from October 30 to November 27, 2025. The host city will be announced soon, but wherever the pieces are set, the stakes are expected to be sky-high.
FIDE confirmed the news on July 21; while the host city stays under wraps. The last big FIDE tournament held here was the 2022 Olympiad. It was tightly run, widely praised, and reminded everyone that India doesn’t just produce top players, it knows how to host a tournament, too.
This is only the second time India has been chosen to stage the World Cup. The last time was back in 2002, when Hyderabad played host and Viswanathan Anand walked away with the crown. Much has changed in Indian chess since then. What was once a solo act with Anand at centre stage has now become a full-blown ensemble. Today, the likes of D. Gukesh, current world champion, R. Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi are not just competing but leading the charge.
This year’s tournament will bring together 206 players in a knockout format that leaves no room for recovery. One bad game and it’s over. This month-long chess battle returns to Indian soil with global stakes and homegrown stars in play. The top three players will punch their ticket to the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the decisive battleground before the World Chess Championship.
For India, this isn’t just about hosting a tournament. It’s about momentum. The country is riding a new wave of chess enthusiasm, powered by young grandmasters who are constantly rewriting what it means to be a sporting hero. And come October, they’ll be playing not just for trophies, but on home turf, in front of a nation that now knows how to read the board. With legends returning and prodigies rising, the 2025 World Cup may well be India’s most thrilling 64-square showdown yet.
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