A record Indian contingent takes on the elite fide world cup in Goa
World champion Gukesh and prodigy Praggnanandhaa lead a 24-player home team, looking to use familiar surroundings to their advantage in chess's most brutal knockout format
“The World Cup is a knockout format, more like a tennis tournament, like a Grand Slam," says Nihal Sarin. “It’s important to be sharp because it’s a brutal format. One mistake can send you back."
One of the top-ranked Indian chess players in the world, at No. 32, Sarin is, however, not particularly affected by India hosting the World Cup, which starts 30 October in Goa. He clarifies that the location or venue, since chess is mostly played indoors, does not matter so much.
“I wouldn’t say I feel anything different. But a one-hour flight is better than 10 hours," he says, laughing, while referring to not having to travel abroad for it. “Other than that, I will try my best on the board."
A record 24 Indians will participate in this year’s edition of the FIDE (International Chess Federation) World Cup, comprising more than 10 per cent of the 206-strong field, and much more than the 10 who competed in the event in 2023. The 11th edition of the $2 million prize money biennial event will run till 27 November at a resort in north Goa.
Divya Deshmukh, who won the women’s World Cup in July, has got a wild card and will be the only female competitor. Her second round opponent could be Sarin, after the top 50 players—including eight Indians—get a first round bye.
World champion Dommaraju Gukesh will be among a strong field of Indians who occupy eight places in the top 50 FIDE rankings (open category) as of October. Gukesh is the third highest ranked Indian, at No. 11, behind Arjun Erigaisi (No. 4) and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (No. 5).
“Hosting a tournament like the World Cup in India is huge for chess," says 20-year-old Praggnanandhaa over a text message. “It gives young players a chance to watch the best in action and generates significant media attention. For players," he adds, “there’s also the boost of local support. The familiarity...makes a big difference. Everything feels more accessible and comfortable, which helps focus on the game."
Praggnanandhaa believes that playing in familiar surroundings may help but at the top level, the main focus is always on the board. “The key is being mentally ready to adapt, whether it’s in Goa, Chennai or any part of the world."
Quick Turnaround
The format would be an eight-round knockout, with matches being of two classical games, followed by a rapid and blitz playoffs—if tied. The top three players from the World Cup will qualify for the 2026 Candidates tournament, which is one of the tournament’s main incentives.
“Preparation (for any tournament) varies depending on the format," adds Praggnanandhaa. “The World Cup is a knockout event, so every game matters and there’s little room for error. My preparation is focused, studying opponents’ games, preparing specific lines, and also working on mental aspect of the game. Compared to round-robin tournaments, the approach is more intense, tactical and psychologically demanding."
Besides, the wild card for Deshmukh, others like world junior champion Pranav Venkatesh (No. 83) and Raunak Sadhwani (No. 85) will get a rare chance to mingle with the higher echelons of world chess. Deshmukh recently played in the open category of the FIDE Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan in September (women can compete against men in chess—unlike other sports—in the open category) though the field is stronger in the open category.
“I see her (Deshmukh) as a successor to Judit Polgár—who defeated all top players during her time," says grandmaster (GM) Dibyendu Barua, who has an eponymous chess academy in Kolkata and is also the vice-president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF). “I hope she (Deshmukh) will better her (Polgár) record. This (the World Cup) will be tough for her, but she already knows that."
Hungarian Polgár is considered to be among the strongest female chess players of all time.
“Remember that Judit (top ranked from 1989-2016) did not play in all-women events," adds Arvind Aaron, who runs the monthly magazine Chess Mate, over an email. “If I ran AICF, I would have advised her (Deshmukh) to skip Goa and focus on the World Women’s Team Championship at Linares, Spain, where her services will be more required for our country when we meet teams like China, Russia and Ukraine." He adds that if she loses in the early rounds in Goa, she can join the Linares event.
Chess Minus the King
The winner of the previous edition and the sport’s most emblematic player, Magnus Carlsen, increasingly disinterested in conventional competitions, will skip this one. His absence, while not surprising, takes a bit of the sheen off this Goa event.
Others like second-ranked Hikaru Nakamura, No. 3 Fabiano Caruana, former world champion Ding Liren, and the semi-retired Viswanathan Anand, world number 13, will be missing as well. The World Cup winner in 2021, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, is also giving Goa a skip, which means 10 players from the top 50—including numbers one, two, three—would be absent from the three-week event.
“Carlsen has the status, the strength, has a fan following, as does Nakamura, especially in India. It’s their choice but I don’t think the status of the World Cup will go down (because of their absence)," says Barua.
The world No. 6, Alireza Firouzja, who skipped the event in 2023 as well, told Chess.com then that he didn’t see himself playing “one month every day chess. It was just too much for me to compete. For me going to one place and staying there for one month to play, it’s a bit weird."
The absence of some leading players does make the chances of an Indian win more likely. Barua wouldn’t be surprised if all three top finishers are Indians while Aaron believes that anybody in the top 15 stands a chance to win. He puts the probability of an Indian win at 25 per cent.
“There’s naturally more attention and expectations now, but I see it as motivating," adds Praggnanandhaa, in the context of the world champion being Indian.
“Having a compatriot as world champion shows young players that reaching the top is possible. In a way, it pushes everyone to raise their level and compete with confidence on the global stage. We’ve always looked up to each other, and it helps in pushing yourself to that level," he says.
Goa hosting the World Cup is also a by-product of India’s growing prowess in the sport. India won a double gold in the chess Olympiad in 2024, in both the open and women’s categories, for the first time.
The state also earned its chess credentials by hosting the 2002 World Juniors. Anand, still the most influential figure in Indian chess, is the deputy president of the FIDE management board, adding to the allure of India as a chess destination.
“I personally believe that holding such big tournament will inspire the next generation," says Barua. “It will give a different kind of mileage and status to chess. It will add another feather to our cap."
Arun Janardhan is a Mumbai-based journalist who covers sports, business leaders and lifestyle. He posts @iArunJ.
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