Overview

• The World Cup will run in Goa from October 30 to November 27 with a USD 2 million purse and three Candidates qualification spots.
• The event follows an eight-round knockout format of two classical games per match with rapid and blitz tie-breaks, with the top 50 seeds starting in round two.
• Entry lists published by outlets include D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and R Praggnanandhaa, though reports note uncertainty around participation for some stars, including Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.
• FIDE confirmed Goa after venue inspections and what the Goa Chess Association described as procedural approvals, with New Delhi previously considered.
• India’s chess ascent framed the selection, with endorsements from FIDE’s Arkady Dvorkovich and AICF’s Nitin Narang, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly welcoming the event’s return to India after 23 years.