The FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, is set to begin on Wednesday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The tournament features 172 players, with 116 in the Open and 56 in the Women’s tournament. The competition holds significant importance as the top two finishers in both categories will earn a coveted spot in the 2026 Candidates tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Champion title.
India has a strong presence in the Open category, with R. Praggnanandhaa as the highest-rated player. He is joined by reigning world champion D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, placing India's players at the very top of the list. A notable addition to the Open section is Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, who confirmed her participation after requesting a wildcard entry. Other key Indian players include Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, and Nihal Sarin, while Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali will compete in the Women's section.
The tournament will be played over 11 rounds in a Swiss format, where players are not eliminated and are paired based on their performance. The FIDE Grand Swiss will take place from September 4 to 15. The time control for the Open event is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by additional time for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. The women’s event has slightly different time controls, with 90 minutes for the first 40 moves.
The tournament also features several intriguing storylines and key players. Pranav Venkatesh, the 2025 World Junior Champion, will be competing after securing his spot through a wildcard match. The tournament also includes the defending champions from 2023, Vidit Gujrathi and Vaishali Rameshbabu, both of whom will look to repeat their past success.
In addition to its role as a Candidates qualifier, the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 will feature a significantly increased prize fund. The Open prize fund has seen a 36% increase to $625,000, while the Women’s prize fund has jumped by 64% to $230,000. Fans can follow all the action live on the FIDE YouTube channel, which will be streaming the event daily.