FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa: All you need to know about schedule, format and Indian players
What is the FIDE World Cup?
The FIDE World Cup is one of the most prestigious events in world chess, featuring a knockout format that brings together top players from around the globe. The 2025 edition marks its 11th iteration, with the tournament set to be held in India, from October 30 to November 7, 2025.
Where is the event being held?
The tournament will take place at Resort Rio in North Goa.
How many players are participating?
A total of 206 players will compete in the main draw, making it one of the largest World Cups in chess history.
How many Indians are taking part?
A record 24 Indian players have qualified for the 2025 edition — the highest representation from India in any FIDE World Cup.
The list includes:
D. Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, Harikrishna Pentala, Raunak Sadhwani, Leon Luke Mendonca, Iniyan Pa, Pranav V, Raja Rithvik R, Narayanan SL, Pranesh M, Harshavardhan GB, Karthikeyan Murali, Idani Pouya, Karthik Venkataraman, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Neelash Saha, Diptayan Ghosh, Aromyak Ghosh, Himal Gusain, Lalit Babu MR, and Vidit Gujrathi.
Who is the top seed?
Reigning World Champion D. Gukesh headlines the field as the tournament’s top seed, playing his first major event on home soil after winning the world title.
How does the format work?
The World Cup follows a two-game knockout format across eight rounds.
Each round consists of:
- Two classical games played over the first two days
- A tiebreak on the third day if scores are level
- The top 50 seeds receive a first-round bye, while players seeded 51–206 face off in the opening round based on the “top-half vs reversed-lower-half” pairing system.
What is the time control for the World Cup?
Classical – The time control for each game shall be: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from the first move.
Tiebreaker rules
What’s at stake?
Beyond the prize money and prestige, the top three finishers will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which decides who challenges the reigning World Champion.
What is the tournament schedule?
FIDE World Cup 2025 – Key Dates and Rounds (All times IST)
Nov 1-3: Round 1 (Games + Tiebreaks)
Nov 4-6: Round 2 (Games + Tiebreaks)
Nov 7-9: Round 3 (Games + Tiebreaks)
Nov 11-13: Round 4 (Games + Tiebreaks)
Nov 14-16: Round 5 (Games + Tiebreaks)
Nov 17-19: Quarterfinals
Nov 21-23: Semifinals
Nov 24-26: Finals
All games begin at 3:00 PM IST.
Published on Oct 29, 2025