The FIDE Council has officially approved a refreshed format for the 2027 FIDE World Cup and the 2027 FIDE Women’s World Cup. This initiative seeks to enhance participation, improve the player experience, and reduce the duration of the events while maintaining their significance within the World Championship cycle.
New Format and Structure for the World Cups
Since the introduction of the knockout system in 2005, the World Cups have seen continuous growth. The Open event has expanded from 128 to 206 players, while the Women’s event has increased from 64 to 103. This growth has also extended the tournament calendar; by 2025, the Open World Cup spanned 27 days, complicating scheduling for players and organizers alike.
Starting in 2027, both tournaments will be streamlined to run for 19 days and will consist of two distinct stages. The first phase will utilize a Swiss-system qualifier format, employing Fast Classical time control of 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. The Open event will feature four Swiss pools, while the Women’s event will consist of two pools, with each pool played over nine rounds in five days. The pools will be arranged to ensure players compete against others of comparable strength.
From the Swiss stage, 16 players will advance to the finals: the top four from each Open pool and the top eight from each Women’s pool. The second stage will revert to the traditional knockout format with classical time controls, covering the round of 16 through to the final. A rest day will separate the Swiss and knockout stages, with two additional rest days scheduled during the knockout phase.
FIDE asserts that this hybrid approach maintains the excitement of the knockout finals while providing every participant with more game time and an enhanced overall experience.
In addition to the new format, field sizes will increase significantly. The Open World Cup will expand from 206 to 224 players, and the Women’s World Cup will grow from 103 to 128 participants, thus broadening access for players from various regions.
The qualification pathways are also being widened. The top four finishers from the most recent FIDE Grand Swiss and FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss will earn direct qualification. The winner of the 2026 Total Chess World Championship will secure a spot, and qualification through the FIDE Circuit will be available for both tournaments. Continental allocations will rise to seven places per continent, and a new slot will be reserved for the highest-rated senior player.
Moreover, the combined prize fund for these two prestigious events will increase from USD 2.67 million in 2025 to USD 3.3 million in 2027. All participants will continue to receive prize money, with higher payouts for lower finishing positions compared to 2025. Importantly, the winner’s first prize will remain unchanged, ensuring that title contenders can still earn the same top award over a shorter competitive period.
FIDE presents these changes as a way to preserve the identity of the World Cup while modernizing it to meet the demands of today’s chess landscape. This update aims to expand opportunities, especially for regions like Africa and the Americas, ensuring that the World Cups remain among the sport’s most significant events and a critical step towards the World Championship.