D Gukesh 'Really Excited' About Goa Return As India Gets Ready For FIDE World Cup

Last Updated:October 27, 2025, 14:57 IST

D Gukesh leads India at the FIDE World Cup in North Goa, returning as World Chess Champion. The event features 206 players from 82 countries and a USD 2 million prize fund.

D Gukesh. (PTI Photo)

World Chess Champion D Gukesh is eager to return to Goa, a venue with cherished memories from his early playing days, as he leads the Indian team at the prestigious FIDE World Cup starting on Friday.

The FIDE World Cup, a major event on the global chess calendar, is being held in India after 23 years. The tournament will take place at a resort in North Goa from October 31 to November 27, 2025, with a total prize fund of USD 2 million.

“I am really excited about the World Cup. Playing anywhere in India is great, and I have some great memories of Goa. I have played some junior events there. So, looking forward to being there," said Gukesh, who will be the top seed in the competition.

The 19-year-old last competed in Goa in 2019, finishing 10th in the Category ‘A’ Goa International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, despite being seeded much lower at the start.

Now returning as the reigning world champion, Gukesh hopes to make this another memorable trip to the coastal state, which is one of India’s top sporting and tourist destinations.

A field of 206 players from 82 countries will compete in the knockout-format event, with the top three finishers qualifying for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Gukesh has received a bye in the opening round and is likely to face Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan in the second.

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri is another top player aiming for the winner’s purse of USD 120,000.

Having already secured his spot in the 2026 Candidates, which will determine the challenger for Gukesh in the next World Championships cycle, Giri will experience less pressure during the tournament.

“The World Cup is a great event and I am going to play it regardless. It’s fun to play it," said Giri, who will be the highest-ranked foreign player in the competition.

Speaking about the challenge of the qualification format, Giri said, “It’s a very tricky qualification path, whichever is the format. I have played a lot of them (World Cup). Once I got very close to qualifying through the World Cup. I lost the semi-final to Peter Svidler (in 2015)."

The FIDE World Cup has followed the knockout format since 2005, and only Viswanathan Anand of India and Armenia’s Levon Aronian have managed to win the title twice in the tournament’s history.

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