Indian Chess Players Shine at European Club Cup Ahead of World Cup

Indian chess players, led by D Gukesh, made a impressive showing at the European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece, ahead of the upcoming Chess World Cup in India. Gukesh clinched the top board gold, while his team SuperChess emerged as champions. In the women's section, Divya Deshmukh won gold on the second board and her team Cercle d'echecs de Monte Carlo took the title. This strong performance will give India's chess players a confidence boost as they prepare for the Chess World Cup 2025 in Goa.

Key Takeaways:

• D Gukesh won gold on the top board and his team SuperChess emerged as champions at the European Club Cup in Greece.
• Divya Deshmukh won gold on the second board and her team Cercle d'echecs de Monte Carlo took the title in the women's section.
• The Chess World Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place in Goa from October 31 to November 27, and Divya is the only woman competitor from India.
• Gukesh is the top seed in the Chess World Cup 2025, followed by Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa as the second and third seeds.
• Gukesh had a tough year in 2025, losing to R Praggnanandhaa in the Tata Masters, finishing eighth and 11th in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, and coming sixth in the Grand Chess Tour 2025 in Romania.
• Gukesh also had notable wins over Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess and the Rapid section of the SuperUnited Croatia 2025.

Statistics:

• 24 players from India will participate in the Chess World Cup 2025.
• Gukesh won 14.5 points at Norway Chess, including a win over Magnus Carlsen.
• Divya is the only woman competitor from India in the Chess World Cup 2025.

Sources:

• Hindustan Times, "Indian players shine at European Club Cup ahead of World Cup" (October 26, 2025)