Nagpur: Nagpur’s first Grandmaster, Raunak Sadhwani, can finally breathe easy after the All India Chess Federation (AICF) confirmed his participation in the upcoming FIDE World Cup as the 23rd Indian entry. The AICF awarded the 19-year-old World Junior No. 8 a wildcard berth for the prestigious event, which India will host in Goa from October 30 to November 27.
Currently holding an Elo rating of 2641, Raunak is ranked World No. 85 in the Open category and India No. 4 among juniors. His selection comes just ten days after fellow Nagpur prodigy and reigning Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh received her wildcard, making Raunak the second GM from the city to feature in this year’s strong 206-player lineup.
Gold Rate
6 Oct 2025
According to FIDE’s latest participant list, Raunak will start as the 62nd seed and is determined to make his World Cup debut count. Expressing his excitement, Raunak said,
“I’m incredibly grateful and honoured to receive a wildcard entry and make my debut in the FIDE World Cup. Thank you to FIDE and AICF for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’ll put in my utmost efforts, I can’t wait to get out there and compete. Time to get to work.”
With this, Vidarbha’s second Grandmaster steps onto the global stage, aiming to bring further laurels to Indian chess.
