Arpora, Goa – In a day of high-stakes tiebreaks at the FIDE World Cup 2025, Arjun Erigaisi emerged as the lone Indian warrior, securing his place in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Erigaisi demonstrated remarkable resilience and strategic prowess, while veteran P Harikrishna's journey concluded after a hard-fought battle in the Round 5 tiebreaks.
Arjun Erigaisi's path to the quarterfinals saw him face off against the two-time World Cup winner, Levon Aronian. After drawing the first game, Erigaisi, playing with black, turned down a draw offer from Aronian and then masterfully cornered Aronian's king, forcing the experienced grandmaster to resign after the 38th move. Erigaisi launched a triple attack with a queen, bishop, and knight, securing a decisive victory. He will now face China's GM Wei Yi in the quarterfinal.
P Harikrishna, after drawing both classical games against Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, entered a tense tiebreak. The initial rapid games, with a 15-minute time control, also ended in draws, prolonging the contest. In the subsequent rapid games with a 10-minute time control, Harikrishna, playing with white, aimed to gain an advantage, managing to add almost a minute to his clock after 14 moves. However, Martinez countered effectively, gradually seizing control after the Indian player traded queens. Martinez eventually won the game in a rook-pawn endgame after 59 moves. With a must-win situation as black in the second rapid game, Harikrishna couldn't break through, resulting in a draw after 30 moves and ending his World Cup run. Martinez defeated Harikrishna 3.5-2.5.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 witnessed intense competition, with several top players facing unexpected exits. In other Round 5 tiebreaks, Sam Shankland defeated Daniil Dubov, while Andrey Esipenko overcame Alexey Grebnev. Alexander Donchenko secured the final quarterfinal spot by defeating Le Quang Liem.
Earlier in the tournament, the competition saw 24 Indian participants, with many being knocked out in the initial rounds. World Champion D. Gukesh was eliminated in Round 3. Praggnanandhaa, a finalist in the 2023 World Cup, was knocked out in Round 4 tiebreaks by Daniil Dubov.
Arjun Erigaisi's performance provides a bright spot for India in the tournament. His quarterfinal match against Wei Yi is scheduled. The first game of the Quarterfinals is on Monday, November 17.
