SA chess master Daniel Barrish eyes comeback at FIDE World Cup in Goa

South African FIDE Master (FM) Daniel Barrish will be representing the country at the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, India.

From 30 October to 27 November, the world’s top chess players will gather on India’s west coast for one of the most thrilling events on the calendar.

"I'm very excited. This is my second time playing the World Cup, with the previous time being in Sochi, Russia, in 2021, so I’d like to improve on that performance," said Barrish.

The tournament features 206 participants and serves as a crucial qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. The top three finishers in Goa will earn direct spots in that highly exclusive competition, putting immense pressure on every round.

The Candidates Tournament determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.

Barrish, who is 25, is a two-time South African champion, having won the title in 2019 and again in 2024.

He told Eyewitness News that after taking time off from playingchess to concentrate on his PhD, he's looking forward to the World Cup.

"I haven’t played in a while—in roughly a year now, actually. My last tournaments were in September last year, with the main one (the Chess Olympiad—basically the world team chess championships) going very well, but the last one (Moja Chess Festival) going rather poorly. I’ve taken a break from playing to focus on finishing my PhD and co-founding a machine learning consultancy, but am looking forward to getting back into tournament chess now."

The FIDE Master, whose title was earned in 2013, reflected on his early introduction to the sport.

"My grandpa introduced me to chess, and then my dad took me to the Claremont Chess Club when I was ages of five and six. My first few tournaments went quite well, so I was motivated to continue."

A notable highlight in his career was drawing a game against former world champion Garry Kasparov at a simultaneous exhibition when Barrish was only 11 years old.

The mental demands of the sport are something Barrish continues to navigate.

"Tournaments typically consisting of nine rounds can be tough mental rollercoasters. Whether you win brilliantly or suffer a shocking defeat, you have little time to recover before the next game, which is often later on the same day or in the morning. Building mental resilience is important so that one can weather the ups and downs, and this is something I’m still working on. I think the key is to focus on what is within your control, and avoid dwelling on past mistakes for too long."

He also credits the game with teaching him valuable life lessons.

"Chess teaches many things—strategic thinking, accountability (actions have consequences), discipline, patience, hard work, etc. Many of the skills one is forced to learn by playing chess are transferable to everyday life."

Speaking about the development of chess in South Africa, Barrish expressed a desire to see a more concerted effort to make chess an attractive or viable career option for young talent.

"Too many talented young players call it quits after school since they either begin working or studying. Adequate support structures for top players would incentivise South Africa’s talent to continue playing instead of falling by the wayside."