PANAJI: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has released the Round 1 pairings for the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, setting the stage for a thrilling start to one of chess’s most prestigious knockout tournaments. The event brings together 206 players, including Indian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Chess Champion, Dommaraju Gukesh, with the top seeds earning automatic entry into Round 2, while 156 players will battle it out in the opening round to advance further.
The World Cup serves as a key qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the gateway to the World Chess Championship. Only the top three finishers in Goa will earn a direct spot in that elite competition, adding immense pressure to every round.
This year’s field also features six wildcard invitees: Kirill Alekseenko (Austria), Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE), Abhimanyu Mishra (USA), Volodar Murzin (FIDE), Faustino Oro (Argentina), and Andy Woodward (USA). India’s Pranav Venkatesh and Raunak Sadhwani also join the list, further boosting local representation.
Round 1 offers several exciting encounters, including Gukesh D vs Raja Rithvik R, Bu Xiangzhi vs Yu Yangyi, Harikrishna Pentala vs Van Foreest Jorden, and Wesley So vs Stremavicius Titas. Other notable pairings include Mamedyarov Shakhriyar vs Rodrigue-Lemieux Shawn, Aravindh Chithambaram vs Bluebaum Matthias, and Raunak Sadhwani vs Daniel Barrish.
