FIDE World Cup 2025: Gukesh Leads India's Charge, Divya Deshmukh Creates History as Lone Woman Entrant in Open Field

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Panaji, Oct 30: India's golden generation of chess, led by reigning World Champion Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, is poised for another defining chapter as the FIDE World Cup 2025 begins in Goa on Saturday (November 1). Adding a historic dimension to the event, Divya Deshmukh, the reigning Women's World Cup champion, will be the only woman competing in the open field.

The FIDE World Cup, one of the most prestigious global chess tournaments, returns to India after 23 years - a fitting stage for a country that has transformed into a chess powerhouse. From fewer than a dozen Grandmasters two decades ago, India now boasts over 85 GMs, reflecting its meteoric rise.

India's Power Trio: Gukesh, Arjun, Praggnanandhaa

In this year's event, Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa occupy the top three seedings, underlining India's dominance. The 206-player knockout tournament will also feature Dutch GM Anish Giri as the top-ranked foreign player (No. 4).

Two-time World Cup winner Levon Aronian (USA) returns as the only past champion, seeded 15th, while defending champion Magnus Carlsen and 2021 winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda are not participating.

Format and Stakes

The $2 million event follows a single-elimination format - two classical games per round, followed by rapid or Armageddon tiebreaks if necessary. The top three finishers will qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2026, which decides the next challenger for Gukesh's world title.

Should already-qualified players like Gukesh, Anish Giri, or Matthias Bluebaum finish in the top three, their Candidate slots will pass to the next-best player in the standings.

Indian Contenders in Action

Third seed Praggnanandhaa, who reached the final in 2023, begins against Jan Subelj (Slovakia), while Raunak Sadhwani could be a third-round opponent.
Top seed Gukesh opens against Kazybek Nogerbek (Kazakhstan) and Arjun Erigaisi faces Krikor Mekhitarian (Brazil).

Other key Indian names - Vidit Gujrathi, P Harikrishna, Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, and Karthikeyan Murali - will also begin from the second round.

Divya Deshmukh: Breaking Barriers

Reigning FIDE Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh makes history as the only woman in the 206-player field. Granted a wild card, the 18-year-old from Nagpur will open against Greek GM Stamatis Kourkoulos Arditis, with Nihal Sarin potentially waiting in Round 2.

Generations Collide: Faustino Oro to Igor Efimov

At just 12 years old, Argentinian prodigy Faustino Oro is the youngest participant. Facing GM Ante Brkic (Croatia) in Round 1, Oro could achieve the Grandmaster title if he reaches the Round of 16.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 65-year-old Igor Efimov (Monaco) - the oldest player - will take on 16-year-old Ediz Gurel (Turkey) in a symbolic generational duel.

Prize and Broadcast Details

• Every first-round loser earns $3,500, while the champion pockets $120,000.
• Fans can catch the live action on AICF, ChessBase India, Chess.com, and FIDE's official YouTube channel, with commentary in English and Hindi.

Tickets: BookMyShow - FIDE World Cup 2025