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 rewarding for players.The biggest change is that both events will now last 19 days instead of 27. Rather than going straight into a knockout, players will first compete in a Swiss system qualification stage before starting the traditional elimination rounds. The opening stage sees players split into separate Swiss pools, where everyone can play multiple matches. The revamped format starts with the Swiss system qualifiers using a 45-minute clock and a 30-second increment per move. The top performers from each pool will advance to a 16-player knockout stage, which will continue with the familiar format of classic time controls.FIDE has also expanded the size of both tournaments. The Open World Cup will grow from 206 to 224 players, while the Women’s World Cup will grow from 103 to 128 players.New qualification routes have also been introduced. Along with continental qualification points, players can now qualify through the FIDE Grand Swiss, the FIDE Circuit, the Total World Chess Championship and as the highest senior player. Continental representation has also been boosted, with more qualifying spots for each region.
Bigger prize, shorter tournament
FIDE has increased the combined prize fund for the two events from USD 2.67 million in 2025 to USD 3.3 million in 2027. The prize money will continue to be distributed to each participant, with players finishing lower in the rankings receiving higher payouts than before, while the winner’s prize remains unchanged.Explaining the changes, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said: “The new format has been 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 qualification and the knockout final will offer a more interesting experience for players and fans.READ ALSO: India gets its 98th GM! Both parents chess coaches, 10th board exam forced a break: The creation of Aswath SHe added: “At the same time, we are making the FIDE World Cup more inclusive than ever… With these changes, the FIDE World Cup and the FIDE Women’s World Cup will remain among the most followed competitions in international chess, while continuing to serve as key gateways to the World Championship cycle for players from every corner of the world.