Beaches, culture & hospitality win Goa the Chess World Cup

Panaji: Ending months of speculation, FIDE, the governing body for global chess, has confirmed Goa as the host for the Chess World Cup 2025 later this year.One of FIDE’s flagship competitions, the Oct 31-Nov 27 tournament was originally supposed to be held in New Delhi.

There were, however, growing concerns over the Capital hosting the event, prompting the organisers to look at other options.

Jaipur, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad were discussed as alternative venues before Goa finally got the nod.FIDE said Goa’s “stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality” made the state an exciting backdrop for the global showdown.According to sources, the event will be held in Arpora.“It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world,” FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement on Monday. “The representatives of 90 plus countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history. India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans.”The top three finishers will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the gateway to challenging for the ultimate title in chess.

World champion D Gukesh (India), world number one Magnus Carlsen (Norway), R Praggnanandhaa (India), Fabiano Caruana (US), Nijat Abasov (Azerbaijan), besides women’s world champion 2025 Ju Wenjun (China) and world junior campion 2024 Nogerbek Kazybek (Kazakhstan) have all qualified for the World Cup.Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion and highest ranked player in the history of the game, is unlikely to participate, given that he has already qualified for the Candidates.Goa has never hosted a chess event of such magnitude. In 2002, the state hosted the World Junior Championship where Levon Aronian finished on top, followed by Luke McShane and Surya Shekhar Ganguly. The state has also hosted Grandmaster events.“This is a proud moment for the country and state,” said Goa Chess Association president Mahesh Candolkar. “This is the biggest event that we are having here, and the world's best players will be seen in action.

We want everyone to enjoy the games. We will try and bring our children to witness the action.”AICF president Nitin Narang said the World Cup will not only inspire millions across the country but also showcase India’s growing stature as a global hub for chess.India’s rise in chess has made the world take note. From just Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion and now FIDE deputy president, flying the India flag, the country has some accomplished players with Gukesh D, the youngest World Chess Champion at 18, Praggnanandhaa R, runner-up of the 2023 World Cup, and Arjun Erigaisi, ranked fifth in the world, leading the charge.Divya Deshmukh, 19, became the cynosure of all eyes after recently winning the Women’s World Cup title.The World Cup will have a single-elimination format. Each round spans three days: two classical games on the first two days, followed by tie-breaks on the third day, if necessary. In the first round, the top 50 players receive byes, while players seeded from 51 to 206 compete, with pairings based on the principle of the top half versus the reversed lower half.