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What is it? International Chess Federation World Cup

When is it? July 30 to August 23, or 24 if tiebreaks are required

Where is it? The Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard in Baku, Azerbaijan, which overlooks the Caspian Sea

Who’s taking part? More than 200 players will compete in the open section, including world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who is looking to win the World Cup title for the first time in his career.

Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Fabiano Caruana, also of the US, Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, who will compete as a neutral, and Wesley So, who will also compete for the US, feature among the top ten seeds in the field.

More than 100 players are taking part in the second edition of the women’s competition, with the headline name in the field reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun of China.

Alexandra Kosteniuk, who represents Switzerland, and was the winner of the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 2021, is also among the line-up.

Reigning women's world champion Ju Wenjun of China is among the field for the second edition of the women's World Cup competition ©FIDE/Stev Bonhage
Reigning women's world champion Ju Wenjun of China is among the field for the second edition of the women's World Cup competition ©FIDE/Stev Bonhage

Why is it important? The top three players qualify for the International Chess Federation men's and women's Candidates Tournaments, which act as qualifiers for the 2024 Men's and Women's World Chess Championship Match.

The event also boasts a combined prize pool of $2.5 million (£1.9 million/€2.25 million), the largest one for any chess event in the world.

What’s the history? The International Chess Federation World Cup with the current format of a 128-player knockout tournament dates back to 2005.

Since 2005, nine editions have taken place, with a World Cup held every two years. The current champion is Jan Krzysztof Duda of Poland.

The International Chess Federation staged its first World Cup, which had no direct link to the World Championship, in 2000.

How can I watch it? Action will be streamed live via chess.com/TV or on chess.com’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

2023 FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan