NEW DELHI: India is set to host the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 from October 31 to November 27, as confirmed by a senior official of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) in a conversation with TimesofIndia.com.
Though FIDE’s website briefly listed India as the host venue on Monday, it reverted the status to “To be announced” within hours. As of Wednesday, it continues to be in the same, ambiguous state.
However, the AICF official stated with confidence that FIDE had unofficially confirmed India’s hosting rights as early as January or February 2024.
“India has more potential. FIDE also acknowledges this. That is why they trust us. Yeah, they have faith in the Federation of India,” the senior official told TimesofIndia.com.
The event marks a long-awaited return to this land, with India last hosting the FIDE World Cup in 2002 in Hyderabad, where chess legend Viswanathan Anand bagged the title.
TimesofIndia.com understands the specific state or city for hosting the World Cup is yet to be decided and will be finalised in an AICF meeting, attended by state secretaries, AICF officials, and other shareholders, within the next month.
With the senior official further clarifying that there won’t be a formal bidding process, FIDE’s requirements, such as venue inspections and logistical criteria, will be a deciding factor.
“The states willing to conduct the World Cup will explain their plans in the meeting. Whichever proposal seems better and meets the requirements will be considered. While there won’t be internal bidding, the meeting participants will likely agree on the most suitable location,” the official explained.
“Organising the World Cup isn’t as demanding as hosting an Olympiad, so two to three months should be sufficient for preparations. The final decision will be made well in advance.”
The announcement caps off an extraordinary period for Indian chess. Gukesh Dommaraju’s stunning victory in the Candidates Tournament, followed by his triumph over China’s Ding Liren to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion in Singapore, has taken the chess world by storm.
While Indian men’s and women’s sides both secured first-ever team gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, rising stars like Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi have also reached remarkable milestones.
Arjuna Awardee Vantika Agrawal ‘surprised’ at the move
FIDE’s decision to host the men’s and women’s World Cups separately, scheduled to take place from July 5 to July 19 in Batumi, Georgia, has raised a few eyebrows, including those of the latest Arjuna Award recipient, Vantika Agrawal.
In an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, Vantika, who won two gold medals for India at the 2024 Chess Olympiad — one in the team category and the other individually — shared her thoughts on why it could have been ‘more exciting’ to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cups in India.
“It is going to be pretty big for Indian chess. But I am a bit surprised that the women’s World Cup and men’s World Cup are going to happen in different places. I would honestly prefer that these two happen together. Then it is more exciting,” Vantika opined.
“But for Indian chess, it is pretty big. I don’t remember the last time a World Cup happened in India. So, it is pretty big. We got World Juniors, and had the Chess Olympiad in Mahabalipuram in 2022. I hope many more such events come to India so that more and more people start watching chess and get awareness about it,” noted the 22-year-old Arjuna Awardee.
Addressing the decision to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups separately, the senior official, however, clarified, “It’s not in our hands. This is the domain of FIDE; they regulate us. So, whatever they tell us, we have to follow that.”
TimesofIndia.com can also confirm that the 5th leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series will be hosted in Maharashtra, India from April 13 to 24 this year.
