Two separate tournaments – same location – same time – same format – equal prize money
26th May – 6th June
Magnus Carlsen has been World’s No.1 since July 2011. He is a 5-time World Champion in classical chess, 5-time World Rapid Champion, the reigning 8-time World Blitz Champion, and the reigning Chess World Cup Champion. Additionally, he is a 6-time Norway Chess Champion.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2833
Fabiano Caruana is currently World No. 2, and the reigning 4-time US Champion with a peak rating of 2844, the third-highest in history. In 2018 Caruana became the first American Challenger since Bobby Fischer in 1972, but lost the match against Magnus Carlsen in the tiebreak playoffs. A former Norway Chess Champion, Caruana also topped the FIDE Circuit leaderboard in 2024, securing his spot in the next Candidates Tournament.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2803
Hikaru Nakamura is currently World No.3, and a 5-time US Chess Champion. He is also the reigning FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Champion, and the 2023 Norway Chess Champion.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2802
Arjun Erigaisi is currently World No. 4, and in December 2024 he achieved his peak rating of 2801, which made him the fifteenth-highest rated player in history and second Indian ever to cross the 2800 threshold after Viswanathan Anand. In 2024, he won Menorca Open A, the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024, and the 2024 WR Chess Masters Cup in London. In September, Arjun helped Team India to win gold and his performance rating of 2968 earned him an individual gold medal on board three. Also the same month he became India’s top rated player. (Photo Credits: FIDE / Michal Walusza)
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2801
The 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster, Gukesh Dommaraju, became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in December 2024 by defeating Ding Liren. He is also the youngest-ever winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, securing his place as Challenger in April 2024. In 2023, he finished third at Norway Chess, and also became the youngest player to achieve a 2750 rating.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2777
Wei Yi is currently World No. 8 and China’s No.1. He is the youngest player to reach a rating of 2700, a 3-time Chinese Chess Champion, the 2018 Asian Chess Champion, and the 2024 Tata Steel Masters winner. (Photo Credits: FIDE / Michal Walusza)
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2755
Ju Wenjun is currently World No. 2 in women, and the reigning 4-time Women’s World Champion. She is also the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion, a two-time World Rapid Champion, the reigning Norway Chess Women Champion, and one of six women to achieve a rating of 2600.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2561
Lei Tingjie is currently Women’s World No.4. She is the 2016 runner-up at the Women’s World Rapid Championship, the 2024 runner-up at the Women’s World Blitz Championship, the 2017 Chinese women’s national champion, the 2021 Women’s Grand Swiss champion, and the 2023 Challenger. In 2018, Lei won the 43rd Sevilla International Chess Open, one of the largest high-level open tournaments ever won by a female player. Lastly, she came third at the inaugural Norway Chess Women tournament in 2024.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2552
Humpy Koneru is Women’s World No.6 and India’s No.1. She is the 2019 & 2024 World Rapid Champion, the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year in 2020, a gold medalist in the Olympiad, Asian Games, and Asian Championship, and India’s first female grandmaster. She’s also the second female player of a total of six female players, after Judit Polgár, to exceed the 2600 rating mark.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2523
Anna Muzychuk is currently World No.8 in women and the fourth woman out of six women in chess history to surpass a 2600 rating. A three-time world champion in fast chess, she won the Women’s World Rapid Championship in 2014 and the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2014 and 2016. In classical chess, she was the runner-up at the 2017 Women’s World Championship. At the inaugural Norway Chess Women in 2024, Anna delivered a strong performance, finishing second behind Ju Wenjun.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2516
Vaishali Rameshbabu is currently World No.18 in women. In 2023, she won the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss, qualifying for the 2024 Women’s Candidates Tournament. That same year, she became the third woman grandmaster in India, received the Arjuna Award from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, and became an Olympiad winner with Team India in 2024. In December 2024, she won a bronze medal at the Women’s World Blitz Championship.
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2476
Sara Khadem is the 2023 Spanish Women’s Champion, runner up in both 2018 Women’s World Rapid & Blitz Championships, runner up at the 2015-16 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, and the 2015 Iranian Women’s Champion. (Photo Credits: FIDE / Maria Emelianova)
Official FIDE rating (February 2025): 2458