Young Stars Shine in FIDE’s 2025 Grand Swiss Lineup

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FIDE has announced the list of participants for the 2025 Grand Swiss, and it’s filled with rising stars. The event, one of the biggest on the chess calendar, will run from September 3 to 16 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

This is the fourth edition of the Grand Swiss, following past events in the Isle of Man (2019, 2023) and Riga (2021). It’s also the strongest-ever Swiss system tournament, featuring top talents from around the world.

A Path to the Candidates

The Grand Swiss is more than just a prestigious tournament. It’s also a qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which decides the next challenger for the World Championship.

  • 172 players will compete: 116 in the Open section and 56 in the Women’s section.

  • The top two finishers in each category will earn a spot in the Candidates.

Record Prize Money

The 2025 edition boasts a massive prize fund:

  • Open: $625,000 (up from $460,000 in 2023)

  • Women’s: $230,000 (up from $140,000 in 2023)

Star Power in the Open Section

Of the 116 players in the Open:

  • 101 qualified by rating

  • Others received FIDE wildcards, local nominations, or Continental spots

India’s young stars are leading the field:

  • Arjun Erigaisi (21) and World Champion Gukesh D (19) are the top two seeds

  • Praggnanandhaa R (19) is ranked fourth, just behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov (20)

  • Alireza Firouzja (22), world number eight, is ranked fifth

Other top-10 names include Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Levon Aronian, and Vladimir Fedoseev.

Young talents like Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, Javokhir Sindarov, Nihal Sarin, and Awonder Liang are also among the top 20.

Wildcard entries include legends like Boris Gelfand and Aleksandra Goryachkina.

Big Names Missing

Some well-known players will miss the event due to FIDE’s rule requiring 30+ classical games between July 2024 and June 2025. This includes:

  • Magnus Carlsen

  • Viswanathan Anand

  • Le Quang Liem

  • Peter Svidler

Ding Liren and Fabiano Caruana (already qualified for the 2026 Candidates) are also not participating.

Women’s Grand Swiss: A Strong Lineup

In the Women’s section:

  • 44 players qualified by rating

  • Others joined via Continental spots, wildcards, or local nominations

Top names include:

  • Tan Zhongyi (former Women’s World Champion)

  • Humpy Koneru, Anna Muzychuk, Kateryna Lagno

  • Vaishali Rameshbabu (24) – winner of the 2023 edition

  • Lei Tingjie – winner of the first Women’s Grand Swiss in 2021

Young stars like Divya Deshmukh (19), Lu Miaoyi (15), and Leya Garifullina (20) are also competing.

History of the Grand Swiss

The Grand Swiss is held every two years and uses a classical 11-round Swiss format. Past champions include:

  • 2019: GM Wang Hao (Open)

  • 2021: GM Alireza Firouzja (Open), Lei Tingjie (Women)

  • 2023: GM Vidit Gujrathi (Open), Vaishali Rameshbabu (Women)

More details and full participant lists can be found on the official website.

Open: grandswiss2025.fide.com/open-event-participants/

Women: grandswiss2025.fide.com/women-event-participants/

Photos: Przemek Nikiel, Niki Riga, Rafal Oleksiewicz, Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS

 

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