FIDE World Cup 30 October - 27 November 2025

[Rob Coles]

The FIDE Circuit website has

NOVEMBER
FIDE World Cup 2025 (Goa, India, November 01-27, 2025)
Campeonato Sudamericano Absoluto (Rancagua, Chile, November 03-08, 2025)
2025 US Masters (Charlotte, USA, November 26 – 30, 2025)
2025 London Chess Classic Masters (London, UK, November 26 – December 02, 2025)
2025 London Chess Classic* (London, UK, November 26 – December 05, 2025)

DECEMBER
President Cup “Masters” group (Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 04-12 December, 2025)
2025 London Chess Classic Super Rapidplay* (London, UK, December 06 – 07, 2025)
FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 (Doha, Qatar, December 25 – 31, 2025)
* – provisional

Tashkent doesn't seem to be relevant, nor the US Masters

Thank you. I had a look at the Circuit standings too and it seems likely that if Pragg wins a World Cup place, then Abdusattarov can indeed jump above Keymer with a strong showing at LCC. However if I read the regulations correctly, if 1st in the Circuit has already qualified then the spot goes to 2nd place in the 2025 Circuit, 3rd place 2025 Circuit, or the player with the best combined 2024 & 2025 Circuit placings (Abdusattarov placed 3rd in 2024 and is probably in pole position here, So 41st and Keymer 42nd). I.e. its not enough to leapfrog Circuit rivals, Keymer, So and Abdusattorov will also need to outscore at least 2 of Giri, Caruana, Bluebaum who are in spots 2, 3 & 4 at present.

It's all a bit murky but I suppose good box office if Pragg wins through.

[Mick Norris]

Ah yes, well spotted

1 spot – the player in the 1st place in the FIDE Circuit 2025 ranking list. If this player is the FIDE World Champion as of January 1st, 2025 or has already qualified for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, or withdraws the qualification spot shall be awarded to the player who is next yet unqualified in the FIDE Circuit 2025 ranking list (but not below the 3rd place, in which case the spot goes to the player with the lowest sum of places in 2024 and 2025 ranking lists).

It might depend on the definition of Caruana's position in the 2025 circuit; he's currently in 3rd, but he would need 4 qualifying standard tournaments and he's only apparently played 3 (and there's no need for him to do anything, as he's already qualified from the 2024 Circuit); if you knock him out of the standings then you have:

Pragg who already has 5
Giri ditto
Bluebaum ditto
Keymer who is playing his 4th

I think Pragg and Giri will finish in the top 2 places, or at least the top 3, and Abdusattarov would need to win London to have a chance of going above Bluebaum (and Caruana), although there is the World Rapid and Blitz to follow

Someone will have a spreadsheet, but if Pragg doesn't get one of the places via the World Cup, we can avoid using it, as he'll get the 2025 circuit place

[Geoff Chandler]

Unlucky timing, you should have waited an hour!

Hi Nick,

That is too close for a coincidence. I reckon some FIDE chappie scrutinises this site for complaints against FIDE and ideas they can claim were their own. My post alerted them that had no venue for the 2026 candidates. (OOPS!)

Pin map of the world to the wall, throw the FIDE dart, Cyprus! (a couple of inches lower and they would be holding it on the Gaza Strip.)

[Paul Cooksey]

Very lucky FIDE's dart hit a place with so much Russian money

[LawrenceCooper]

5 draws and a win for Jospem with black against Sarana so far today.

[LawrenceCooper]

5 draws and a win for Jospem with black against Sarana so far today.

Aronian also wins so 2 wins and 9 draws now.

[Mick Norris]

Aronian said he discussed the line he played today with Caruana

[Roger de Coverly]

Aronian said he discussed the line he played today with Caruana

Some years ago when preparing to face Mike Surtees as Black, I rejected the idea 1. e4 e5 2. a3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. exd5 Nxd5 because of the reply 5. Qh5 . In the reverse position 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4, being able to play Nb5 is a strong idea for White, usually forcing .. Kd8. That's not possible in the reversed position.

[LawrenceCooper]

Two wins and fourteen draws, albeit mainly hard fought.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Aronian said he discussed the line he played today with Caruana

Some years ago when preparing to face Mike Surtees as Black, I rejected the idea 1. e4 e5 2. a3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. exd5 Nxd5 because of the reply 5. Qh5 . In the reverse position 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4, being able to play Nb5 is a strong idea for White, usually forcing .. Kd8. That's not possible in the reversed position.

Quite right too (to avoid it). I have some notion that this was even given in BCO in the 1980s. Indeed a friend of mine (honestly, not me! Really, a friend!) won a game with it in the British U18 in 1988....

[LawrenceCooper]

Jospem through from a position of strength, albeit after an incorrect claim for threefold repetition as black was able to castle in the first position.

[Mick Norris]

I looked an hour ago, and again he was the only one with a decent advantage out of the opening, he must be well prepared; he's got Harikrishna or Grandelius next

Sargissian-Liang quick draw today after their very long game yesterday, so they're the first through to the tiebreaks

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Jospem is the online name for José Martínez Alcántara.

Does anyone know why he transferred from Peru to Mexico? I am not up-to-date on South American politics... (possibly it was just for personal reasons)?

Oh, I see Kramnik's name in there...

This is from 2 years ago, so maybe should not be revisited, but gives some context:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments ... se_of_the/

[LawrenceCooper]

Jospem through from a position of strength, albeit after an incorrect claim for threefold repetition as black was able to castle in the first position.

Levon Aronian is also through. 10/10 games drawn but it looks like four of the remaining six could be decisive.

[LawrenceCooper]

Yakubboev the first player to win today, quickly followed by Donchenko. They both qualify for the last 16.