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The new trophy for the FIDE World Chess Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Goa, has been named the Viswanathan Anand Trophy in honour of India’s five-time world champion.
Made of brass and coated with gold, the trophy was unveiled at a vibrant opening ceremony attended by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
All India Chess Federation President Nitin Narang on the Chess World Cup
This rolling trophy will be handed over to future winners of the FIDE World Cup.
The event, which celebrated Goa’s rich culture and the “Spirit and Story of Chess,” was officially opened through a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, read out by All India Chess Federation President Nitin Narang.
"...As the Chess World Cup returns to the 'home of chess', it feels as though the game has come full circle. India’s growing role as a host to major international sporting events continues and augurs well for both India and the world. I declare the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 open," the PM said in his message.
Mandaviya lauds Indian chess stars
The FIDE World Chess Cup, with a prize pool of USD 2 million, will begin on Saturday and feature 206 players from 82 countries competing for the prestigious title and three spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the pathway to the next World Championship.
Reigning World Women’s Chess Cup champion Divya Deshmukh conducted the draw of colours for the first round. She picked the black pieces for India’s top player D. Gukesh, which means all players with odd numbers in the draw will start their first games with the black pieces.
"The last time India hosted the FIDE World Cup we had less than 10 Grandmasters. Now we have 90 and India holds the Olympiad titles in both open and women category and the Women’s World Cup title won by Divya Deshmukh," Mandaviya said while addressing the gathering.
"India has come a long way in these 23 years and I am confident that hosting this world cup will only help us produce more champions in the future."
AICF chief Narang on Viswanathan Anand Cup
AICF chief Narang said he's extremely proud and delighted to announce the Viswanathan Anand Cup, the FIDE World Cup (Open) Winner’s Running Trophy, instituted in honour of the "King of Chess and India’s first Grandmaster, Shri Viswanathan Anand".
The format of the Chess World Cup
The World Cup will be an eight-round, single-elimination knockout event, where 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.
The top 50 seeds, comprising many of the world's highest-rated Grandmasters, receive byes into the second round, while the remaining 156 competitors begin their campaigns on November 1.
Reigning world champion, India's D Gukesh, has been seeded straight into round two.
According to the tournament format, the top 50 players have received a bye in the opening round. Turkey’s GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus will be the highest-ranked player in the opening round and will take on the lowest-ranked player in the tournament, CM Nagi Abugenda of Libya.
Among the Indians, reigning world junior champion Pranav V will be the highest-rated player in action in Round 1. He will face Ala Eddine Boulrens of Algeria.
Top seed and world champion D Gukesh, second seed Arjun Erigaisi, and last edition runner-up R Praggnanandhaa will only be seen in action from November 4. This is the first time since 2002 that the FIDE World Cup is being held in India.
On that occasion, Anand had defeated Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the two-game final in Hyderabad.
More than two decades later, India boasts of a young world champion in Gukesh, Olympiad team titles in both the Open and women's sections, and Divya Deshmukh, the current Women's World Cup winner and the only female participant in this year's World Cup.
With agency inputs
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