The #43 player in the Top 100 Women rating list and #23 seeded at the upcoming FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Irina Bulmaga has arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. After gaining rating for six consecutive months, she is now participating in one of the most important events of The Chess Calendar, giving two qualification spots to the FIDE Women’s Candidates.
“I am positively impressed by Uzbekistan and Samarkand in particular,” says Irina Bulmaga. “From the warm welcome, to the kind people and beautiful sites. Have had a lovely day touristing around!”
Grand Swiss information: FIDE Grand Swiss Chess Tournament 2025 – A Gateway to the World Championship
Grand Swiss Live: FIDE Grand Swiss Chess 2025 live / Women’s Grand Swiss Chess 2025 live
Grand Swiss Participants: Participants open / Participants women
More: Interview with Irina Bulmaga
The venue of the Grand Swiss 2025
The event will take place in Samarkand, a city renowned for its rich cultural heritage and growing prominence in the chess world. Uzbekistan, a rising chess powerhouse, has previously hosted major events like the 2022 Women’s Candidates Tournament and the 2023 World Rapid and Blitz Championships, and it will also host the Chess Olympiad 2026 in Uzbekistan. This event marks the first time the Grand Swiss will be held in Uzbekistan
More about the Grand Swiss 2025
The FIDE Grand Swiss, introduced in 2019, has quickly become one of the most competitive tournaments in chess. Previous winners in the Open section include Wang Hao (2019), Alireza Firouzja (2021), and Vidit Gujrathi (2023). The Women’s section, launched in 2021, has seen victories by Lei Tingjie (2021) and Vaishali Rameshbabu (2023). Each edition has showcased the tournament’s unpredictability, with players like Gujrathi, ranked 15th in 2023, emerging victorious against stacked fields.The tournament’s history is marked by its role as a qualifier for the Candidates Tournament, making it a crucible for determining the next challengers for the world title. The 2025 edition continues this tradition, with the added allure of a new host city and an enhanced prize fund.
