Discover which countries are represented in the FIDE Grand Swiss, a world-class tournament that will award two coveted spots in the Candidates Tournament.

“Hermosa vista nocturna de la plaza de Samarcanda, en Uzbekistán” original por KraftabbasDerivative work: Aristeas, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s at Stake at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss

This year, the FIDE Grand Swiss will take place in Uzbekistan, in the historic city of Samarkand—long regarded as one of the birthplaces of chess.

Did you know that Samarkand shares its meaning with Tashkent, another Uzbek city?
“Samarkand” comes from Persian and Sogdian, both Iranian languages, and means “fortress” or “stone town.” In the case of Tashkent, tas means “stone” in Turkic languages, while kand is borrowed from the Iranian family. Different origins, same meaning.

A total of 116 players will compete in the Grand Swiss Open.

Of these, 100 qualified by their FIDE rating, 1 spot is reserved for the Women’s World Champion, 4 places were allocated across the continents, 6 players were nominated by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, and 5 more by the tournament organizer, the Uzbekistan Chess Federation.

Notably absent are Hikaru Nakamura and Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

On the bright side, all eyes will be on the two female participants: India’s Divya Deshmukh and Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina.

The tournament is especially significant because it grants two places in next year’s Candidates Tournament—where Fabiano Caruana has already secured his spot.

It also serves as a global showcase, with nations testing their strength and highlighting the work they’ve done with their rising stars.

To give you a sense of the international stage, here’s a map and two charts.

World Map of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss

This map highlights the countries that succeeded in sending at least one player to the Grand Swiss 2025.

The darker the color, the more players that country has in the field.

India, the United States, and Uzbekistan stand out.

India, in particular, has experienced remarkable growth in chess. We invite you to read more about the reasons behind this chess boom in India .

Uzbekistan has also been on the rise, bolstered by the five places awarded to local players by its national federation.

Russia, meanwhile, is not officially represented—its players either compete under a different flag or under the FIDE flag.

Pie Chart: Participants by Country

This pie chart shows the percentage share of players each country contributes to the Grand Swiss.

Bar Chart: Number of Participants by Country

This bar chart shows the exact number of players per country.

Without one of the four continental spots, Latin America would have been left without representation. That place went to 29-year-old Chilean Grandmaster Cristóbal Henríquez Villagra.

Alongside India’s impressive turnout of 15 players, the quality of its grandmasters is equally striking. Many are rapidly rising talents, and it would be no surprise to see them battling for the top spots in the final rounds.