In what would be a significant boost for Israeli chess, five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand is set to headline the Jerusalem Masters 2025, ending a long hiatus for top-tier international tournaments in the country. The veteran grandmaster will be joined by the highest-ranked Indian, Arjun Erigaisi, for the Gulf event later this year.
Scheduled from November 30 to December 3, the rapid tournament will feature a strong field, which includes two-time World Championship finalist Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, former World Cup winner Peter Svidler and Vladimir Fedoseev among the foreign field.
This visit will also mark a return to Jerusalem for Anand, who previously played an exhibition simul there alongside Anatoly Karpov in 2018, as part of the celebrations for the state of Israel’s 70th anniversary.
The 12-player Masters event will also feature FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, alongside top Israeli Grandmasters such as Maxim Rodshtein, Ido Gorshtein, Yahli Sokolosky, and Avital Boruchovsky. Both Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi have confirmed their participation to The Indian Express.
Jerusalem Masters 2025: India’s Chess Legend Returns
Ending Israel’s long hiatus for top-tier international tournaments
Headlining the Event
Viswanathan Anand
Five-Time World Champion
Tournament Dates
Nov 30-Dec 3
4-day rapid chess event
Total Players
12
Elite Masters field
Indian Stars
2
Anand & Arjun Erigaisi
Format
Rapid
Fast-paced games
Other Top Players Confirmed
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Two-time World Championship finalist
Peter Svidler
Former World Cup winner
Vladimir Fedoseev
Russian Grandmaster
Emil Sutovsky
FIDE CEO & Grandmaster
Indian Express InfoGenIE
The Masters tournament in Jerusalem will be preceded by an Open event, which is expected to draw nearly 500 players. This includes five Indians: GM Prraneeth Vuppala, IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad, IM N B Hari Madhavan, IM A Ra Harikrishnan, and IM AL Muthaiah. The top two finishers from the Open will qualify for the Masters.
Viswanathan Anand plays simultaneous matches against Israeli kids during an event marking Israel’s 70th anniversary at Jerusalem’s Old City’s Jaffa Gate. (Reuters)
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the Israel Chess Federation, the event is seen as a step toward restored normalcy for a region embroiled in significant political conflicts in recent years.
The tournament also provides a crucial competitive opening for Israeli players, who have faced barriers in international competitions. For instance, in September 2025, seven Israeli players were initially banned from the Basque Country Sestao Open in Spain and prevented from playing under their national flag. Although the decision was later overturned following backlash and a warning from FIDE, the incident still underlines a climate of exclusion similar to that faced by Russian players.
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Notably absent from the international event in Jerusalem will be Israel’s greatest player, Boris Gelfand. Despite being a six-time World Championship finalist and former World Cup and Candidates winner, Gelfand has a long-standing conflict with the Israel Chess Association and has not played for the national team since 2019.