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FIDE on Monday confirmed that India would be hosting the chess World Cup later this year, but the venue has not yet been declared by the world chess governing body. New Delhi was tipped to be the host city earlier, but that now looks unlikely, with Goa emerging as a frontrunner. “We are considering a few cities and we will soon make the announcement,” the All India Chess Federation secretary Dev Patel told The Hindu.
This is the second time India is hosting the World Cup, one of the most important tournaments in the FIDE calendar. The last major FIDE event in the country was the Chess Olympiad of 2022, which was a major organisational success at Mamallapuram, near Chennai.
The World Cup will be held from October 30 to November 27. In this knockout tournament, 206 players from across the globe will compete, and up for grabs are spots at the Candidates, the qualifying event for the World championship.
When India hosted the World Cup at Hyderabad in 2002, Viswanathan Anand had become the champion. Indian chess has become much stronger since then and players like World champion D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi will be contenders for the title at the World Cup.
FIDE’s CEO Emil Sutovsky said the federation was thrilled to bring the World Cup to India. “It is a country with a deep-rooted passion and support for chess,” he said.
“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. To enhance the experience, FIDE is committed to organising numerous side events, featuring tournament participants and chess legends.”
Published – July 21, 2025 02:45 pm IST