India to Host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025: A Landmark Event for Indian Chess
India to Host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025: A Landmark Event for Indian Chess
In a groundbreaking development for Indian chess, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has confirmed that India will host the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 from October 31 to November 27. This news comes after FIDE briefly listed India as the host venue on their website, only to revert the status to “To be announced” shortly after.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding the official announcement on FIDE’s website, a senior official of the AICF revealed that India’s hosting rights were unofficially confirmed by FIDE as early as January or February 2024. The official expressed confidence in India’s potential as a host country, citing FIDE’s trust in the Federation of India.
The upcoming World Cup marks a long-awaited return to Indian soil, with the country last hosting the event in 2002 in Hyderabad, where chess legend Viswanathan Anand emerged victorious. The specific state or city for hosting the World Cup is yet to be decided and will be finalized in an upcoming AICF meeting.
Unlike a formal bidding process, the selection of the host location will be based on FIDE’s requirements, including venue inspections and logistical criteria. The AICF official emphasized that the final decision will be made well in advance to allow for adequate preparations.
The announcement of India as the host for the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 comes at a time of unprecedented success for Indian chess. Recent achievements, such as Gukesh Dommaraju’s historic win in the Candidates Tournament and the Indian men’s and women’s teams securing their first-ever team gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, have propelled Indian chess onto the global stage.
In an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, Arjuna Awardee Vantika Agrawal expressed her surprise at the decision to host the men’s and women’s World Cups separately. Vantika, who clinched two gold medals for India at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, highlighted the significance of hosting such prestigious events in India to raise awareness about chess.
While the decision to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups separately lies within FIDE’s jurisdiction, Indian chess enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the upcoming FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 and the 5th leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series scheduled to be hosted in Maharashtra this year. As India continues to make strides in the world of chess, the hosting of these prestigious events is set to further elevate the country’s status as a chess powerhouse on the global stage.