The new trophy of the FIDE World Chess Cup being held in Goa was on Friday christened as the Viswanathan Anand trophy, in honour of the five-time world champion Indian legend.
The trophy was unveiled during a colourful opening ceremony which was attended by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and FIDE chief Arkady Dvorkovich.
"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," All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Nitin Narang said.
"This running trophy stands as an emblem of the great strides of Indian chess and the remarkable achievements and legacy of @vishy64theking, destined to be cherished and extolled for centuries and passing through generations of chess prodigies.
"Majestic, magnificent and deeply symbolic in design, it features a peacock (National Bird of India) in a frozen dancing form a vision so captivating that it rekindles the timeless charm of the game," he wrote on 'X'.
World Women Chess Cup title holder Divya Deshmukh made the draw of lots. All odd numbers in round 1 will play the black pieces.
The USD 2 million prize money tournament will feature 206 players from 80 countries in eight knockout rounds of classical games. The FIDE World Cup 2025 will award three spots to the Candidates 2026 -- the gateway to the next World Championship match.
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.
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.
Besides, several rising stars like Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, among others, will also be seen in action.
Among the international contenders, Germany's Vincent Keymer will be a key contender. Ranked world No. 4 on the live rating list, he has gained 18 rating points across the European Club Cup and European Team Championship.
Another clear favourite will be Anish Giri, the recent Samarkand Grand Swiss winner. In superb form and with his Candidates qualification already secured, Giri enters the World Cup high on morale.
The American duo of Wesley So and Levon Aronian will also be a big threat. So arrives in Goa on the back of a second-place finish at the U.S. Championship.
Levon Aronian, the 2017 World Cup winner, has also enjoyed a good year, amassing multiple titles.
As per the latest FIDE rating list, 22 players are rated 2700 or higher, ensuring that the event features the absolute elite of world chess. PTI PDS PDS AH AH
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