FIDE on Tuesday confirmed Goa as the host city for the Chess World Cup to be held from October 30 to November 27.

The World Chess Body had awarded the hosting rights to India in mid-July, but the host city had not been revealed. India had last hosted the Chess World Cup in 2002, when Hyderabad was the venue.

The mega event will feature 206 players, including World No 1 Magnus Carlsen and World Champion D Gukesh.

Two Kerala Grandmasters, Nihal Sarin and S L Narayanan, are also part of the contestants.

The players will compete in a knockout format, with the top three earning direct qualification to the 2026 Candidates Tournament that will determine the challenger for Gukesh in the next World Championship match.

In the first round, the top 50 players receive byes, while players seeded from 51 to 206 compete, with pairings based on the principle of the top half versus the reversed lower half.

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," he said.

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