CHENNAI: The official announcement may take a few more days but, in reality, India was pencilled in to host the 2025 World Cup by FIDE (chess’ governing body) last year itself. “There’s always talk with India,” Sutovsky had told select Indian media on the sidelines of the chess World Championship in Singapore in November. The dates are already announced by FIDE -- between October 31 and November 27.
“It’s incredibly important for us. We are in constant talks with the All India Chess Federation (AICF), and there’s a connection with Tamil Nadu as well. You know that (Arkady) Dvorkovich met (Chief Minister) M.K. Stalin — the two met before the Olympiad in Mahabalipuram in 2022. I believe that maybe already in 2025, we will have a very major event in India. I’m not saying in Tamil Nadu, but in India. Going forward, with such a huge interest, it’s only logical that India would host more and more top events.”
While Chennai may be a logical destination to host the 2025 World Cup, a glamorous biennial event where the top three earn themselves coveted spots in the 2026 edition of the Candidates, it is believed that the All India Chess Federation (AICF) are cognisant of the need to take the board game to other parts of the country.
They could well host it in New Delhi or Bengaluru or Ahmedabad or Chennai. When FIDE published the 2025 events calendar on Monday evening, they had India against 2025 edition of the World Cup but the ‘India’ disappeared soon after. However, this isn’t some last minute oversight. “There will be an official announcement in the next 2-3 days,” was how one All India Chess Federation (AICF) official put it. “I cannot say much about it till then.”
It’s likely that Magnus Carlsen, the defending champion, will give the tournament a miss. But there will be plenty of other overseas stars in action including Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattarov and Anish Giri. The Indian contingent will be spearheaded by world champion D Gukesh and the likes of Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa. The latter had qualified to the 2024 edition of the Candidates after reaching the final.