Published on: Nov 01, 2025 08:06 am IST
D Gukesh will be the top seed at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025, held in Goa.
The FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 kicked off on Saturday as its opening ceremony was held in Panjim, where the new trophy was unveiled. The new Chess World Cup trophy has been named after Viswanathan Anand, in honour of the Indian chess legend. The tournament this year will take place in Goa, and 24 Indians will be in action among the 206-player field. Eight Indians are among the top 50 and have a bye into the second round. D Gukesh is the top seed, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa are the second and third seeds.
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen won’t be in action, and the same goes for Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. The trio have skipped the event.
At the World Cup, Candidates 2026 berths are also at stake. The top three players qualify for the tournament next year, which is a qualifier for the World C’ship match against Gukesh.
Round 1 begins on Saturday (1 November) and the highest-ranked player in the opening round will be Turkish GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and he will take on Libya’s CM Nagi Abugenda.
When and where will Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 take place?
Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 will take place at Resort Rio in Goa, from November 1-3.
What time will Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 start?
Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 will start at 3:00 PM IST.
Where to watch live telecast of Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025?
Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 won’t be available to watch via live telecast in India.
Where to watch live streaming of Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025?
Round 1 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 will live streamed in India via FIDE’s official YouTube channel.
