India hosts the event from a position of unprecedented strength with a string of titles under its belt.
24 Indian chess masters and a couple of players with Indian roots in the field of 206 players from over 80 nations will vie for the top three positions in the upcoming 2025 FIDE World Cup to be held in Goa from Oct 30-Nov 27 this year.
The top three positions are important not only because they carry higher prize money but also the players will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament that would decide the contender for the World Title.
The probability of Indians or players with Indian roots occupying the top three positions are high not only because two dozen Indian players in the fray but also the top three seeds are Indians: Grandmasters D Gukesh, the reigning World Champion (Elo rating 2,752), Arjun Erigasi (2,773) and R Praggnanandhaa (2,771).
In terms of rating, Gukesh ranks seventh amongst all the competitors.
Interestingly amongst the Indian players GM Divya Deshmukh (2,498) is the only female contestant.
In respect of players with Indian roots, US GM Abhimanyu Mishra (2,652) and Singapore's Siddharth Jagadeesh (2,467) are also presentt.
But the results in the playing hall may differ as the structure of the World Cup is unique. It is an eight-round, single-elimination knockout event.
Each match consists of two classical games played under standard time controls.
If the score is tied after those, the players return on the third day for a series of rapid and blitz tie-breaks to decide who advances.
There are 22 GMs with a rating of over 2,700 and the probability of a lower rated player winning this strong event is slim, though it cannot be ruled out.
So, if 2,700 is the benchmark, then the size of Indian challenge goes down to seven. The are no players with Indian roots with that rating.
The top 50 seeds -- comprising many of the world's highest-rated grandmasters -- receive byes into the second round, while the remaining 156 competitors begin their campaigns on the afternoon of November 1.
'India is not just the ancient home of chess; it is a global modern powerhouse. This World Cup is being held here because India is now a central pillar in the global structure of our sport. For the next four weeks, Goa will not just be a coastal paradise; it will be the Colosseum of Chess,' said Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President.
'This is where legends are forged and broken, and new champions born - a process that has been dramatically enriched by the incredible new generation of Indian stars,' Dvorkovich added.
All games will take place at the Resort Rio, Goa's largest convention hall and a five-star luxury venue just moments from Baga beach.
For the first time since 2002, the FIDE World Cup returns to Indian soil. On that occasion, GM Viswanathan Anand won the title.
India hosts the event from a position of unprecedented strength with a string of titles under its belt.
India won the Olympiad team titles in both the Open and Women's sections; and Divya Deshmukh, the current Women's World Cup winner and the only lady participant in this year's World Cup.
Add to that a remarkable generation of rising stars like GM Nihal Sarin and others.
Gukesh arrives in Goa in scintillating form, fresh from a 2,927 performance at the European Team Championship, where he won gold on board one and played a decisive role in his team's overall victory.
Erigaisi, though dropping a few rating points in the same event, has been one of the most consistent elite players this year and will be eager to reaffirm his status among the very best.
Queried about his preparation Erigasi said: "It is going well and the primary goal is to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament."
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa skipped the European Teams altogether, choosing instead to rest and prepare after a demanding Grand Chess Tour final in Brazil, ensuring he comes to Goa fully recharged.
Among the international contenders, Germany's Vincent Keymer stands out as a major threat.
Currently world number four on the live rating list, he gained 18 rating points across the European Club Cup and European Team Championship, where he secured silver on board one, just behind Gukesh.
Another clear favourite is The Netherlands' GM Anish Giri, the recent Samarkand Grand Swiss winner.
In superb form and with his Candidates qualification already secured, Giri enters the World Cup relaxed but motivated -- looking to extend his streak after taking bronze at the European Team Championship.
'I am looking forward to playing in the World Cup. It's a great event and a lot of fun. I have played a lot of them, and I was actually very near to qualifying once. Although I played very well that year, I still remember losing a semi-final to Peter Svidler. It is definitely a very tricky qualification path,' Giri said.
Similarly, American GMs Wesley So and Levon Aronian can never be ruled out in an event of this nature.
So arrives in Goa on the back of a second-place finish at the US Championship, completing an eleven-game unbeaten run.
Renowned for his composure and strength in rapid and blitz formats, So's consistency and knockout experience make him a formidable contender.
Aronian, the 2017 World Cup winner, has also enjoyed a resurgent 2025, collecting multiple titles in prestigious events and finishing third -- also unbeaten -- at the US Championship.
Few players in the field can match his combination of creativity, resilience, and experience under pressure.
Amongst the contenders with a rating over 2,700 are GMs China's Wei Yi, India's Sarin, and Hungary's Richard Rapport.
With such a large field, some strong players will begin their campaigns early and face stiff opposition right from Round One, while the top seeds will enter in Round Two.
Excelling in classical chess remains essential, but in this knockout format, tie-breaks -- rapid and blitz games played under intense pressure -- often determine who advances in tightly contested matches.
For those who manage to reach the later stages, endurance becomes a decisive factor: Nearly a month of high-stakes chess can wear down even the most seasoned GMs, FIDE said.
No Indian company in the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship
While the World Cup will see large number of Indian players, the 2025 FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship finals to be held in Goa does not have a single Indian corporate.
The competition for the title of 'The Smartest Company in the World' will see eight teams compete in an over-the-board tournament to be held from November 14 to 16 in Goa, alongside the World Cup, FIDE said.
The qualifying stage saw over 30 teams from across the globe compete, with the online stage culminating in a fierce knockout bracket to determine the eight finalists.
The eight finalists are: Microsoft A, Deloitte 1, GRECO, UBS 1, Deloitte 2, Google A, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan 1.
Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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