FIDE World Chess Cup Trophy Named After Anand

“I am extremely proud and delighted to announce the Viswanathan Anand Cup, the FIDE World Cup (Open) Winners’ Race Trophy organized in honor of Shri Viswanathan Anand, the King of Chess and India’s first Grandmaster,” said Nitin Narang, President of the All India Chess Federation (AICF).

“This perpetual trophy stands as an emblem of the great advancements in Indian chess and the remarkable achievements and legacy of @vishy64theking, it will be cherished and praised for centuries and passed down through generations of chess geniuses.

On ‘X’ he wrote: “With a majestic, grandiose and highly symbolic design, the play features a peacock (National Bird of India) in a frozen dance form, an image so enchanting that it revives the timeless appeal of the play.”

World Women’s Chess Cup champion Divya Deshmukh made the draw. All odd numbers in round 1 will be played with black pieces.

The tournament, with a prize money of US$2 million, will feature 206 players from 80 countries in eight qualifying rounds of classic games. FIDE World Cup 2025 will give Candidates 2026 three places which will be a gateway to the next World Championship match.

The World Cup will be an eight-round, single-elimination knockout event, with each match consisting of two classic games played under standard time controls. If the score is tied after these, the players return on the third day for a series of quick and blitz tiebreakers to decide who advances.

The top 50 seeds, which include most of the world’s highest-rated grandmasters, bid farewell to the second round, while the remaining 156 competitors begin their campaigns on November 1.

Reigning world champion D Gukesh from India advanced directly to the second round.

The FIDE World Cup is being held in India for the first time since 2002. On this occasion, Anand had defeated Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the two-game final in Hyderabad.

More than two decades later, India boasts a young world champion in Gukesh, both Open and women’s Olympic team titles, and Divya Deshmukh, the current Women’s World Cup winner and the only female participant in this year’s World Cup.

Rising stars like Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin and others will also be seen in the function.

Among the international competitors, German Vincent Keymer will be an important competitor. The player, who ranks 4th in the world on the live rating list, earned 18 rating points in the European Clubs Cup and the European Team Championship.

Another clear favorite will be Anish Giri, the defending champion of Samarkand Greater Switzerland. Giri, who is in superb form and has already secured Candidates qualification, heads into the World Cup in high spirits.

The American duo of Wesley So and Levon Aronian will also pose a big threat. Thus, he reaches Goa, finishing second in the US Championships.

2017 World Cup champion Levon Aronian also had a good year, winning several titles.

According to the latest FIDE rating list, 22 players have scores of 2700 or higher, ensuring that the event hosts the absolute elite of world chess.