2025 is coming to a close and we’ve created a personalized recap of your chess year

Mark your calendars: the $10,000 Finals tournament is on December 20 at 20:00 UTC!

A Catalan rook lift creates a vicious attack

GM Javokhir Sindarov won the 2025 FIDE World Cup, defeating GM Wei Yi in the rapid tiebreaks. Meanwhile, GM Andrey Esipenko has qualified to the 2026 FIDE Candidates after defeating GM Nodirbek Yakubboev 2-0 in the classical portion of their match.

GM Wei Yi and GM Javokhir Sindarov have made it to the finals of the World Cup and thus secured qualification to the 2026 FIDE Candidates. GM Andrey Esipenko and GM Nodirbek Yakubboev will play the third place match with another Candidates spot on the line.

Announcing two new leagues on Mondays and Wednesdays!

GM Wei Yi, GM Javokhir Sindarov, GM Andrey Esipenko, and GM Nodirbek Yakubboev are through to the semifinals after having eliminated GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara, GM Sam Shankland, and GM Alexander Donchenko, respectively.

GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Wei Yi, GM Javokhir Sindarov, GM Andrey Esipenko, GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, GM Sam Shankland, GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara, and GM Alexander Donchenko are through to the quarter-finals.

GM Daniil Dubov eliminated GM Praggnanandhaa R, while GM Andrey Esipenko got the better of GM Vincent Keymer, GM Aleksey Grebnev emerged victorious against GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and GM Alexander Donchenko won against his compatriot, GM Matthias Blübaum.

GM Frederik Svane eliminated GM Gukesh D as GM Anish Giri and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov are also out of the tournament after losing to GM Alexander Donchenko and GM José Martínez Alcántara, respectively.

The automatically qualified top seeds joined the World Cup in round 2; for top seeds GM Wesley So, GM Hans Niemann, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, and GM Nihal Sarin the tournament is already over after the first match.

The top 50 seeds had automatically qualified to round 2; meanwhile, IM Wang Shixu upset GM Leon Luke Mendonca, and IM Faustino Oro prevailed against GM Ante Brkic.