Bengaluru: India is all set to host probably an important chess event of the yr, the Fide World Cup. Whereas an official announcement remains to be awaited, it’s understood that India has been nearly confirmed because the host for the flagship Fide occasion, which is scheduled to happen from October 31 to November 27, 2025.
Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa (proper). (PTI)
The World Cup will probably be vital, as it’ll supply the highest three finishers a spot within the 2026 Candidates event. The eight-player Candidates will decide who will face Gukesh D within the 2026 World Championship match. High Indian gamers, comparable to Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa, will undoubtedly be eyeing a spot within the Candidates and the prospect of an all-Indian World Championship match subsequent yr can’t be dominated out.
The 2023 World Cup noticed as many as 4 Indian gamers attain the quarterfinals. Praggnanandhaa made a historic run to the ultimate, the place he misplaced to the eventual champion, Magnus Carlsen. {The teenager} grew to become the primary Indian after Viswanathan Anand to succeed in a World Cup last, incomes a qualification for the Candidates.
Whereas the venue for the knockout event is but to be named, it wouldn’t be shocking if Delhi or Mumbai have been chosen to host the occasion, given their direct connectivity to worldwide areas and the massive variety of gamers anticipated to reach from around the globe. The October-November schedule would possibly elevate considerations about smog, ought to Delhi be chosen, however it’s value noting that the AICF had pitched Delhi because the host for the World Championship in November final yr.
The final main chess occasion hosted by India was the Chess Olympiad in 2022. Though India submitted two separate bids (one from the AICF and one other from the Tamil Nadu authorities) to host the 2024 World Championship match between Gukesh D and Ding Liren in November, Singapore ultimately received the bid.
India beforehand hosted the 2002 World Cup in Hyderabad, which Anand went on to win. It was then dubbed the ‘second Chess World Cup’. Anand had additionally received the inaugural 24-player event in 2000. Since 2005, the World Cup moved to a 128-player occasion and was made part of the World Championship cycle. From 2021 onwards, the variety of collaborating gamers has been elevated to 206. This yr, the Fide Girls’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in Batumi, Georgia from July 5-29 whereas the World Fast and Blitz Championship will happen in Doha, Qatar from December 25-31.
India has made vital strides in chess in recent times. In September 2024, India swept historic gold medals in each the open and ladies’s sections of the Olympiad. Three months later, India had an 18-year-old world champion in Gukesh D. This unprecedented part for Indian chess makes internet hosting a significant occasion a terrific alternative to generate additional curiosity and appeal to extra followers to the sport within the nation.