Ready, Set...Goa! Why The FIDE World Cup In India Will Be Spectacular (Even Without Carlsen)

Every two years this happens: 206 of the world's best chess players duke it out over four weeks at the FIDE World Cup before someone unexpected wins.

Last time, it was a certain world number-one GM Magnus Carlsen. Unexpected you say? Until 2023, this was the one event he couldn't win.

This year, after seemingly falling out of love with classical chess and having now won everything there is to win, Carlsen is giving it a miss.

But that doesn't diminish the stardust. The FIDE World Cup is unique. It's an eight-round knockout tournament that never fails to deliver drama, excitement and huge moments in chess.

Each match consists of two classical games played under standard time controls. If the score is tied after those, the players return on the third day for a series of rapid and blitz tie-breaks to decide who advances.

This year the event takes place in Goa, India, at the five-star Resort Rio. The prize fund is $2 million, with the winner taking $120,000. There is a bigger prize at stake, however.

Players are competing for three golden tickets to the, as yet unannounced, 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament—the final eliminator before the World Championship.

Whoever takes that tournament, gets a shot at the reigning king of chess GM Gukesh D. For that reason, competition for Candidates spots has been particularly fierce this year.

As World Champion in his home country, the fortunes of Gukesh will surely garner lion's share of the attention. Indian fans would love him to stamp his authority on the game in the so-called "Pearl of the Orient".

As one of the favourites, Gukesh is seeded straight into round two.

He told FIDE: "I’m really excited and looking forward to playing in the World Cup. Anywhere in India is great of course, but I have some nice memories of Goa as I played some junior events there."

Gukesh seems to have hit top form at the right moment. He has struggled this year, perhaps because the crown lies heavy on his head, and dropped out of the world's top 10.

But, as of Tuesday, Gukesh leads the super-strong 2025 Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown. The 19-year-old is also coming off the back of a 2900 performance in the European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece, where he played a decisive part in lead his team SuperChess to victory.

Winning the World Cup as World Champion before he has to defend his crown would be some statement. Even Carlsen didn't manage that.

For chess, the World Cup being held in India is just another demonstration of how power in the game—and money—has shifted to the south Asian nation. India is leading the world in nurturing talent and putting on top tournaments.

“India is not just the ancient home of chess; it is a global modern powerhouse," said Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President. "This World Cup is being held here because India is now a central pillar in the global structure of our sport.

"For the next four weeks, Goa will not just be a coastal paradise; it will be the Colosseum of Chess. This is where legends are forged and broken, and new champions born – a process that has been dramatically enriched by the incredible new generation of Indian stars."

The last time the World Cup was held in India was 2002, when GM Vishy Anand beat GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a two-game final held in Hyderabad. From that victory, India emerged as the major force in world chess it is today.

Indian Dominance

Fast forward 23 years and India now boasts a cohort of players dominating the world stage.

India has Gukesh, the reigning World Champion; Olympiad team titles in both the Open and Women’s sections; and GM Divya Deshmukh, the current Women’s World Cup winner and the only female participant in this year’s World Cup.

Add to that a remarkable generation of rising stars which includes GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Praggnanandhaa R, GM Nihal Sarin, and others.

Carlsen won't be there to stop them. Nor will the world numbers two and three the American GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana.

Others may well have something to say, of course. Among those hoping to gate-crash India's party will be the in-form German pair of GM Vincent Keymer—soon-to-be up to four in the world rankings—and GM Matthias Bluebaum, this year's surprise world title candidate.

But despite all the talent on show, don't be surprised if this year the FIDE World Cup is all about the home nation.