India will host the 2025 Chess World Cup from 30 October to 27 November later this year, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced on Monday.

“The prestigious FIDE World Cup is coming to India this year! Scheduled for October 30 to November 27, 2025, the tournament will feature the world’s best players battling for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament,” said FIDE in a statement.

This development comes months after speculations went rife about India hosting a major chess tournament this year after the grand success of the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai three years ago.

While FIDE has announced India as the host, the venue and city where the tournament will be conducted hasn’t been announced yet despite the tournament being just over two months away.

“Further details, including the announcement of the host city, will be released in due course,” the statement read.

What’s the format for 2025 FIDE World Cup?

Since 2021, the FIDE World Cup has adopted a single-elimination format that raises the pressure and unpredictability of every match. Each round spans three days: the first two days are reserved for classical time-control games, and if the score is tied 1-1, tie-break games are held on the third day.

A total of 206 players will participate. The top 50 seeded players will receive byes in the first round, automatically advancing to Round 2. Players ranked 51 to 206 will be paired in a top-half versus reverse-bottom-half system, making every match a must-win scenario.

What’s at stake?

The stakes for the FIDE World Cup 2025 go far beyond the trophy. The top three finishers of the tournament will receive direct qualification to the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the penultimate stage in the World Championship cycle.

The winner of the Candidates tournament will get a shot at challenging the reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the ultimate crown in the sport.

Who can play the 2025 FIDE World Cup?

The field of 206 players will be assembled through multiple qualification routes that reward performance, rating, and global representation. Automatic spots will go to:

The reigning World Champion (as of June 1, 2025)

The reigning Women’s World Champion (as of June 1, 2025)

The top four finishers of the 2023 FIDE World Cup

The 2024 World Junior U-20 Champion

Additionally, continental representation plays a major role.

Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe will each receive slots through their respective championships. Asia will also get six slots for top juniors, while Europe receives two.

The top finishers from continental rating lists will fill many of the remaining spots.

For players who haven’t qualified via performance or continental events, 13 spots are reserved for the highest-rated players in the June 2025 FIDE Standard Rating List.

Moreover, the top 100 national federations from the 2024 Chess Olympiad open section will each receive one player nomination. To complete the field, four players will be nominated by the FIDE President, and two by the event organisers.