Indian chess players Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, have been seeded first and second respectively for the fourth FIDE Grand Swiss tournament, set to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 3 to 16, 2025. The event offers increased prize money and serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, with the top two finishers from both the Open and Women's sections earning spots.

 

Due to the requirement of having played at least 30 classical-rated games between July 2024 and June 2025, several big names like Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, and Ding Liren will not participate. Fabiano Caruana, already qualified via the 2024 FIDE Circuit, will also sit out.

 

In the Open section, Erigaisi and Gukesh lead the seedings, followed by R Praggnanandhaa (fourth seed) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Alireza Firouzja is ranked fifth. Other top contenders include Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Levon Aronian, and Vladimir Fedoseev. Young stars like Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, Javokhir Sindarov, Nihal Sarin, and Awonder Liang are also among the top 20. Boris Gelfand will participate via a wildcard.

 

The Open tournament will feature 116 players, while the Women’s section will include 56. The prize fund has been raised significantly, with \$625,000 for the Open and \$230,000 for the Women’s section.

 

In the Women’s Grand Swiss, Tan Zhongyi is the top-rated player, followed by Koneru Humpy, Anna Muzychuk, and Kateryna Lagno. The 2023 champion, R Vaishali, will also compete.

 

Held every two years, the Grand Swiss uses an 11-round classical Swiss format and is a key pathway to the Candidates Tournament.