India’s five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand will headline the Jerusalem Masters 2025. His participation marks a major boost for Israeli chess and brings back top-level international competition to the country after many years. Arjun Erigaisi, India’s top-ranked player, will also compete.

Strong International Line-Up

The rapid tournament will run from November 30 to December 3. It will feature a powerful field, including Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time World Championship finalist. Former World Cup winner Peter Svidler and Vladimir Fedoseev will also take part.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the Israel Chess Federation will jointly organise the event. They see the Masters as a positive step toward restoring normalcy in a region affected by political unrest in recent years.

Anand Returns to Jerusalem After Seven Years

Anand, who now serves as FIDE’s deputy president, last visited Jerusalem in 2018. At that time, he played an exhibition simul with former World Champion Anatoly Karpov during Israel’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The 2025 Masters will host 12 players. The list includes FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, along with top Israeli Grandmasters such as Maxim Rodshtein, Ido Gorshtein, Yahli Sokolosky, and Avital Boruchovsky. Both Anand and Erigaisi confirmed their participation to The Indian Express.

Sutovsky to Play Only as a Professional

Sutovsky told the newspaper that he would not attend the tournament as FIDE’s CEO or spokesperson. Instead, he will compete only as a chess professional. He declined to share more details about the event.

Open Event to Precede Masters

Before the Masters begins, organisers will conduct a large Open tournament. Nearly 500 players are expected to participate. Five Indians — GM Prraneeth Vuppala, IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad, IM N B Hari Madhavan, IM A Ra Harikrishnan, and IM AL Muthaiah — will take part. The top two finishers will earn spots in the Masters.

Large Prize Pool and Appearance Fees

The Masters offers a prize pool of $140,000 — one of Israel’s biggest for a chess tournament. The winner will receive $55,000.

To attract more foreign players, the organisers will provide appearance fees. Grandmasters and Women’s Grandmasters will receive 700 Euros, while International Masters and Women’s International Masters will get 500 Euros. Only the first 40 overseas players to register will receive these payments.

Organisers Aim for Larger Global Participation

The 2024 edition had fewer international players. In the 2024 Open, fewer than 20 of the 307 players came from outside Israel. The 2024 Masters featured only 10 players, including five Israeli and five foreign Grandmasters like Svidler, Daniil Dubov, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Pavel Eljanov, and Jorden van Foreest. Svidler won that title.

Opportunity for Israeli Players Amid International Barriers

The new event comes at a time when several Israeli players face difficulties in international competitions. In September 2025, seven Israeli players were banned from the Sestao Open in Spain and were initially barred from using their national flag. The ban was later lifted after strong criticism and a warning from FIDE. Still, the incident highlighted the exclusion that has also impacted Russian players.

Gelfand Absent Due to Ongoing Conflict

Israel’s greatest chess player, Boris Gelfand, will not participate. Gelfand, a six-time World Championship finalist and former Candidates and World Cup winner, remains in a long-running conflict with the Israel Chess Association. He has not represented Israel since 2019.