2025 Chess World Cup: Qualified Players, Rules, and Everything About the FIDE Tournament!

Goa, India, will host the 2025 Chess World Cup, organized by FIDE (the International Chess Federation) from November 1 to 26. The stage is set for a tournament that promises to be one of the most exciting in recent years, showing why this mind sport has everything in common with eSports!

With millennia-old strategies and battles of intelligence, the game has long transcended the image of a simple pastime. The pursuit of excellence and global impact are key traits of chess today. Thus, the FIDE Chess World Cup comes at a time of intense competition, with the rise of new talents and innovative tournament structures — as updated formats emerge each season.

Although Norway’s Magnus Carlsen will not participate in this edition, names like Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi are confirmed in a lineup filled with the world’s top grandmasters. The 2025 FIDE Chess World Cup will follow a knockout format and award spots for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.

Want to know more about the competition? We’ve prepared this complete guide with all the key information about the 2025 FIDE World Cup — including how to bet. Remember that the odds used here are not guarantees of results; they only serve as indicators of risk and, consequently, favoritism.

Where and when will the 2025 Chess World Cup take place?

The 9th edition of the FIDE Chess World Cup (Open category) is a biennial event — that is, held every two years. It not only crowns a champion but also serves as one of the main qualifying stages for the World Championship cycle.

This year, it will take place in the state of Goa, on India’s western coast, bathed by the Arabian Sea. The region has a rich chess tradition, and the Rio Resort will host the event — yes, a luxury hotel in the city of Arpora, on the banks of the Baga River, will host both the opening ceremony on October 31 and all matches between November 1 and 26, 2025.

Where to watch the 2025 Chess World Cup?

You can follow the matches through FIDE’s official YouTube and Twitch channels, which will stream free live coverage with commentary of both Classical games and thrilling tie-breaks.

Additionally, platforms such as Chess.com and Chess24 will provide extensive coverage of the 2025 FIDE World Cup, allowing fans to follow live moves and expert analysis from Grandmasters.

Be mindful of the time difference: Goa is eight hours ahead of Brasília, meaning most matches will start around 6:30 or 7:30 a.m. in Brazil.

Many Brazilian streamers and Grandmasters will also broadcast their own live commentary in Portuguese on their personal channels — a great option for local fans.

Rules and format of the 2025 Chess World Cup

The 2025 Chess World Cup will feature one of the largest prize pools in the FIDE circuit and the global chess scene, with a total purse of US$ 2 million. A record-breaking 206 participants will compete for the title, including the World Champion, top male and female players, and qualifiers from continental and zonal tournaments.

What makes this year’s FIDE Chess World Cup particularly exciting is its format. Unlike Swiss-system tournaments (where players face each other based on score), this is a knockout event — meaning one loss results in immediate elimination, adding drama and intensity to every match!

Among the 206 participants, the top 50 players from the October 2025 FIDE rating list will receive a first-round “bye,” automatically advancing to the second round. This ensures that the top seeds enter the competition at a more advanced stage.

The 2025 World Cup calendar is divided into eight rounds, with days dedicated to classical games and tie-breaks if needed. Here’s the tournament schedule:

• Rounds 1 to 3: November 1–9 (9 days of play)
• Rounds 4 to 6: November 11–19 (9 days of play)
• Rounds 7 to 8 (Semifinals and Final): November 21–26 (6 days of play)

The World Cup follows a single-elimination (knockout) format with eight rounds. Each match between two players consists of two classical games with extended time control.

The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. A win counts as 1 point, a draw as 0.5 points, and a loss as 0 points. The first player to reach 1.5 points wins the match and advances to the next stage.

Tie-break rules: if the score after two classical games is tied 1–1 (two draws or one win each), the match proceeds to tie-break rounds with faster time controls, adding extra adrenaline to the battle.

After the classical games, two rapid games (25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move) are played. If still tied, two blitz games follow (10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). If the tie persists, two more blitz games are played (5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move).

If there is still no winner, the match is decided by an Armageddon game: White receives 5 minutes and Black 4 minutes (both get a 3-second increment per move starting from move 61). In case of a draw, the player with Black pieces is declared the winner.

Participants of the 2025 Chess World Cup

The list of participants for the 2025 FIDE Chess World Cup is a true constellation of talent. Alongside established Grandmasters, the new generation of Indian prodigies and other global stars promise a world-class tournament!

All 206 participants earned their spots through various qualifying paths, ensuring both diversity and a high competitive level. The tournament will feature the reigning Classical World Champion, the Women’s World Champion, the top four finishers from the 2023 Chess World Cup, and the 2024 U20 Junior World Champion.

In addition, the World Cup will include 80 players who qualified through continental championships (such as the Continental Championship of the Americas) and zonal events around the world. The 13 players with the highest FIDE standard ratings as of June 2025 who didn’t qualify through other means also received invitations, along with 100 competitors from the top-performing national federations at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.

Before the tournament begins, Blaze’s Chess World Cup page lists the odds for the title, with the following players as the main favorites:

Arjun Erigaisi (India)

At just 22 years old, Arjun Erigaisi became the second Indian player ever to surpass the 2800 FIDE rating mark — matching the legendary Viswanathan Anand. A multiple-time champion, Erigaisi began his career in 2015 and is considered one of the top favorites to win the title, with odds of 7.0.

R. Praggnanandhaa (India)

Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the youngest-ever World Cup finalist in 2023, has shown remarkable maturity and poses a real threat to the favorites. At 20 years old, he is the second-most likely contender for the title, with odds of 11.0 to be crowned champion.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)

Bringing experience to the field, French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave — known as MVL — rose to prominence in 2009 after winning the World Junior Championship. At 35, the seasoned player has odds of 13.0 to return from India as world champion.

Gukesh D (India)

The reigning Classical World Champion, Dommaraju Gukesh, is one of India’s brightest young talents. Playing on home soil with crowd support, he enters as the tournament’s top seed and holds 13.0 odds to win the title once again.

Bet on the 2025 Chess World Cup at Blaze!

Excitement, strategy, and brilliant moves will define the atmosphere in Goa. The 2025 FIDE Chess World Cup promises to be a milestone in the sport’s history, merging chess tradition with the intensity of modern competitive play. And yes, you can bet on the competition — since the MESP Ordinance No. 36 includes it on the list of Authorized Betting Sports in Brazil, as long as you’re 18 or older.

You can place your bet on who will become the next champion and follow every match live — but don’t forget: just like the players, you must plan responsibly to avoid a checkmate. Study statistics, data, and rules before making any prediction — check out our eSports Betting Guide and eSports Glossary for more insights.

Betting on chess should always be seen as a form of entertainment, never as a guaranteed source of income or financial investment. Never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose, and remember that all forms of betting carry risks to your financial and mental well-being. Chess, as a competitive and unpredictable game, always involves uncertain outcomes that can’t be controlled.

Ready for the thrill of the greatest mind sport in the world? Follow and bet on the 2025 Chess World Cup at Blaze, and enjoy every move made by the world’s top Grandmasters!

Frequently Asked Questions about the 2025 Chess World Cup

What is the FIDE Chess World Cup?

It’s a biennial elite chess tournament organized by FIDE (the International Chess Federation) and played in a single-elimination (knockout) format. Besides being a prestigious event, the FIDE Chess World Cup also serves as a qualifying stage for the Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Championship title.

Who are the main favorites for the 2025 Chess World Cup?

The top favorites include former world champion and current world number one Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion Gukesh D, and elite Grandmasters. The knockout format is unpredictable, but these names stand out as the tournament’s biggest stars.

How does the tie-break system work in chess?

If a match ends tied 1–1 after the two classical games, additional games with faster time controls (Rapid and Blitz) are played. If the tie persists after all series, the final decision comes through an exciting Armageddon game — where the player with the black pieces wins the match in case of a draw.

Where and when will the 2025 Chess World Cup take place?

The 2025 Chess World Cup will be held in Goa, India, from November 1 to November 26, 2025.