For the second time in three years, chess is coming home. A sport which originated as chaturanga comes home to India with the FIDE World Cup with an unusual host in the form of scenic Goa. When India hosted the Olympiad in 2022, the tournament acted as the first warning shot in the air that a cavalcade of Indians were poised to march down the battlefield of 64 squares. Now, an unprecedented 24 Indians are in the mix at the 206-player World Cup at home.

At the previous World Cup in Baku just two years back, there were 10 Indians in contention, with five of them getting first round byes courtesy of being among the top 50 seeds. This year, eight Indians are among the top 50 and will thus earn direct entry into the second round, with the top three seeding spots being locked by the trio of Gu

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