Goa

Teenage Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has been awarded a wild card entry into the FIDE World Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in Goa from October 31 to November 27. This opportunity comes after a last-minute withdrawal of one of the participants. The 19-year-old from Nagpur, who recently competed at the FIDE Grand Swiss, will now join 20 other Indian players, including world champion D Gukesh, in the knockout tournament.

Tournament details

The biennial event features 206 top players battling in a knockout format of mini-matches over three weeks. The top three finishers will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which decides the challenger for the world title. FIDE confirmed that Deshmukh’s entry followed a “last-minute cancellation of one of the participants, with Ju Wenjun and Hou Yifan having earlier declined the invitation.”

Conclusion

Divya Deshmukh’s inclusion in the World Cup adds to her growing list of achievements and highlights India’s rising prominence in the global chess arena.