MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. /TASS/. Russian Chess Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi and seven of his fellow comrades are on the roster for the 2025 FIDE World Cup to be held in India this fall, the World Chess Federation’s (FIDE) press office said in a statement on Tuesday.

This year, the tournament will play host to 206 of the world's best chess players. Russia will be represented at the event by Ivan Zemlyansky, Sergey Lobanov, Vladislav Artemyev, Andrey Yesipenko, Daniil Dubov, Yevgeny Naer and Arseny Nesterov, as well as Nepomniachtchi .

"The FIDE World Cup 2025 is coming to Goa! From October 30 to November 27, 2025, the world’s top players will gather on India’s west coast for one of the most exciting chess events," the statement reads.

"This knockout spectacle brings together 206 players fighting for a share of USD 2,000,000 and three coveted places in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic tournaments on the calendar," according to the statement.

Commenting on the World Cup in India, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said: "India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans."

"It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world. The representatives of 90+ countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history," the FIDE chief added.

Nepomniachtchi, 35, has twice played for the world chess crown. In 2021, he lost in the final to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and in 2023 to China’s Ding Liren. He won the European title in 2010 and won the World Team Championships as a member of the Russian team in 2013 and 2019. Apart from that, he is a two-time Russian champion (2010, 2020).

The FIDE World Cup event is held every two years. Norway’s Magnus Carlsen is the reigning champion at the previous event held in 2023 in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.