Big changes in the World Chess Championship! FIDE approves new format for Open and Women’s competitions from 2027 | Chess news

FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 Divya Deshmukh and FIDE World Cup 2025 winner Javokhir Sindarov (PTI Photos)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a major overhaul of the World Cup and Women’s World Cup formats from 2027, with the aim of making the tournaments shorter, more inclusive and more profitable for players.The biggest change is that both events will now last 19 days instead of 27. Instead of going straight to the knockouts, players will first compete in a qualifying stage according to the Swiss system before the traditional knockout rounds begin. In the opening phase, players will be divided into separate Swiss groups, where everyone can play multiple games. The revamped format begins with qualifications in the Swiss system using a 45-minute clock and a 30-second increment per move. The top players from each pool will then advance to the 16-man knockout stage, which will continue in the familiar format using classic time controls.FIDE has also expanded the size of both tournaments. The Open World Championship will increase from 206 to 224 players, while the Women’s World Championship will increase from 103 to 128 players.New qualification tracks have also been introduced. In addition to continental qualification spots, players can now qualify through the FIDE Grand Swiss, FIDE Circuit, Total Chess World Championship and as the highest rated senior player. Continental representation has also been boosted, with more qualifying spots for each region.

Bigger prize pool, shorter tournament

FIDE has increased the combined prize pool for the two events from US$2.67 million in 2025 to US$3.3 million in 2027. Prize money will continue to be distributed to each participant, with players who finish lower in the rankings receiving higher payouts than before, while the prize money for the winner will remain unchanged.Explaining the changes, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said: “The new format is designed to preserve the unique identity of the FIDE World Cup while adapting it to the evolving needs of modern chess. We believe that the combination of the Swiss qualifiers and the knockout finals will offer a more interesting experience for players and fans.”READ ALSO: India got its 98th GM! Both Parents Chess Coaches 10th Board Exam Forced Pause: Creation of Aswath SHe added, “At the same time, we are making the FIDE World Cup more inclusive than ever before… With these changes, the FIDE World Cup and FIDE Women’s World Cup will remain among the most watched competitions in international chess while continuing to serve as a key gateway to the World Championship cycle for players from all over the world.”