FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 – India’s Rising Stars in Focus
In a less global-mainstream sport but highly meaningful nonetheless, the 2025 FIDE Chess World Cup has begun its Round 2 and features a strong contingent of Indian players. �
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The setting
The event, held in Goa, India, sees 206 players competing in a knockout format, with top seeds receiving byes past the first round. Among them are Indian players such as D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi. �
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Why this is trending
Young Indian talent: India’s chess scene has accelerated in recent years and these players are now on the world stage, carrying expectations.
Knock-out pressure: Unlike round-robin events, a single loss here means elimination. That makes every game high‐stakes, thrilling for fans and intense for players.
Global representation: The participants include greats from Europe, Russia, USA and Asia, making this one of the premier individual competitions in chess.
Location significance: Hosting in India adds local interest; when home-country players perform, national visibility grows.
Key angles
Performance of top seeds: How will Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi manage under pressure? Can they progress deep into the tournament?
Underdog stories: With so many players, upsets are imminent. An early round exit of a favourite can shock the board.
Format drama: Tiebreakers are common in this tournament. The first round already eliminated several Indians via tiebreaks. �
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Growth of chess in India: Success here reflects broader chess-infrastructure growth in India—academies, sponsorships, global visibility.
Implications
For the players: A deep run boosts ranking, reputation, sponsorships and invites to elite events.
For Indian sport: Helps diversify the narrative beyond cricket and mainstream team sports, showing India’s strength in individual mind-sports.
For chess globally: High participation from diverse countries indicates the globalisation of chess talent.
