Gukesh to lead India 'FIDE World Cup 2025

A strong Indian contingent, led by World Champion Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, and the entire Olympiad-winning squad will once again look to assert the country’s supremacy on the world stage as they compete for the coveted FIDE World Cup 2025 crown in Goa starting from Saturday.

In this edition, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM R Praggnanandhaa have been given the top three seedings, while every 10th chess player who has qualified for this 206-strong field will be an Indian. Dutch GM Anish Giri will be the highest-ranked foreign



player at four.

Two-time former champion Levon Aronian of the USA will be the only past winner in action in Goa and has been seeded 15th in the competition.

Meanwhile, reigning champion GM Magnus Carlsen won’t be defending his title, while 2021 winner GM Jan-Krzystof Duda of Poland has opted out.

The FIDE World Cup 2025, which carries a prize purse of $2,000,000, will follow a single-elimination knock-out format in which each round will have two classical games followed by a tiebreaker if required.