The 2027 World Cup Format, Quickly
FIDE approved sweeping changes to the 2027 World Cup and Women's World Cup. If you just want the headline changes without the reasoning behind them, our full explainer covers the why. Here is the what, five points, no preamble.
1. It is 8 days shorter
Down from 27 days (2025 Open event) to 19 days total across both stages, a meaningful reduction FIDE needed to keep the World Cup viable inside an increasingly packed calendar.
2. It is now two stages, not one knockout
Stage 1 is a Swiss qualifier at Fast Classical (45+30), nine rounds over five days. Stage 2 is a standard classical knockout, Round of 16 to Final, exactly like the old format.
3. Pools replace the old bracket
Open: four Swiss pools, top 4 from each advance (16 total). Women's: two Swiss pools, top 8 from each advance (16 total).
4. The field got bigger
224 players in the Open event, 128 in the Women's, both increases over the old 206 and 107-player fields.
5. So did the money
A combined $3.3 million prize fund across both events, alongside the expanded field. Bigger, more inclusive, and shorter, an unusual combination for a format overhaul to hit all three at once.