Goa, India – In a dramatic turn of events at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa, India's R Praggnanandhaa was knocked out in the fourth round, while Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna advanced. The tournament, which began on November 1st with 206 players, including 24 from India, saw Praggnanandhaa's exit after a tiebreaker loss to Russia's Daniil Dubov.
Praggnanandhaa, who was the runner-up in the previous edition after being defeated by Magnus Carlsen, lost 1.5-2.5 to Dubov in the tiebreakers. After drawing with black pieces in the first rapid game, the Indian Grandmaster was outplayed in the second. Dubov's strategy involved a quick draw in the first rapid game, followed by a decisive performance in the second. Despite entering the tournament as the world No. 7 and a strong contender, Praggnanandhaa was not at his best, having been pushed to tie-breakers in previous rounds as well.
Arjun Erigaisi, India's No. 1, had a smoother path, defeating veteran Peter Leko of Hungary with a score of 3-1. Erigaisi won both tiebreaker games against Leko and is set to face two-time World Cup winner Levon Aronian in the fifth round. Pentala Harikrishna also advanced, overcoming Sweden's Nils Grandelius 2.5-1.5, with the decisive result in their second rapid tiebreaker.
With D Gukesh's earlier elimination in Round 3, Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna are the remaining Indian hopes in the competition. The top three finishers in the FIDE World Cup 2025 will secure a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. No Indian has won the World Cup in its current knockout format, which was introduced in 2005.
Harikrishna's advancement is particularly noteworthy, as the 39-year-old is seen as finally realizing his potential. He was the second Indian man after Viswanathan Anand to win the Junior World Championship in 2004 and was once the youngest Indian to become a Grandmaster.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa has seen several top players vying for a spot in the Candidates Tournament. The event, organized by the All India Chess Federation and FIDE, has Abhijit Kunte as the Tournament Director and Anastasia Sorokina as the Chief Arbiter.
