THE FIDE COUNCIL has approved format changes to the 2027 FIDE World Cup and 2027 FIDE Women’s World Cup, following recommendations from the Global Strategy Commission.
The changes aim to make the competitions more inclusive, improve the player experience, and reduce the overall duration of the events, a media release said.
The cumulative prize fund for the two events has been significantly increased, rising from USD 2.67 million in 2025 to USD 3.3 million in 2027. This substantial increase reflects FIDE’s commitment to further enhancing the value of the World Cups for players at every level of the competition.
Prize money will continue to be awarded to every participant, with increased prizes for players finishing in the lower places compared to the 2025 editions. While the winner’s first prize remains unchanged, the new format allows players competing for the title to earn the same top prize over a significantly shorter event, improving the overall balance between tournament duration and financial rewards.
Since adopting the knockout format in 2005, the World Cups have grown from 128 to 206 players in the Open and from 64 to 103 in the Women’s event. By 2025, the Open World Cup had reached 27 days in duration, creating scheduling challenges. From 2027, both World Cups will be played over 19 days in a two-stage format.
Stage 1 will feature a Swiss-system tournament with a Fast Classical time control of 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment. The Open World Cup will have four Swiss pools and the Women’s World Cup two, each played over nine rounds across five days. The top four players from each Open pool and top eight from each Women’s pool will advance — 16 players in total for both events.
Stage 2 retains the traditional knockout format from the Round of 16 onwards, played with classical time controls. A rest day will separate the two stages, with two additional rest days during the knockout phase.
The approved format also expands participation, with the Open World Cup growing from 206 to 224 players and the Women’s World Cup from 103 to 128.
New qualification pathways include direct qualification for the top four finishers in the FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss, qualification through the FIDE Circuit, a place for the winner of the 2026 Total Chess World Championship, seven qualification spots per continent, and a new place for the highest-rated senior player.
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 Swiss qualification and knockout finals will offer a more engaging experience for both players and fans. At the same time, we are making the FIDE World Cups more inclusive than ever before. The increased number of places, including additional qualification spots for Africa and the Americas, will provide more opportunities for talented players from every continent to compete on one of the biggest stages in world chess. With these changes, the FIDE World Cup and FIDE Women’s World Cup will remain among the most watched competitions in international chess while continuing to serve as key gateways to the World Championship cycle for players from every corner of the world.”
