India, Oct. 28 -- The FIDE Chess World Cup is scheduled to take place in Goa from October 31 to November 27, and D Gukesh will be in the spotlight as the top seed. The second and third seeds are also Indians: GMs Arjun Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa. Spots at the Candidates 2026 will also be at stake, going to the winner, runner-up and third-place finisher.

It will be an eight-round knockout event, with the top 50 seeds given a bye in the second round. The losers of the two semis will play a match for third place.

Speaking ahead of the World Cup, Gukesh said, "I am really excited about the World Cup. Playing anywhere in India is great and I have some great memories of Goa. I have played some junior events there. So, looking forward to b...