Ian Nepomniachtchi, a former world championship challenger, has faced heavy criticism after blaming the conditions in India for his early exit from the FIDE World Cup 2025. The Russian grandmaster suffered adefeat at the hands of Indian GM Diptayan Ghosh in the second round, resulting in his elimination from the tournament and ending his hopes of qualifying for the Candidates Tournament.
Following his loss, Nepomniachtchi posted a message on his Telegram channel stating, "I'd played in India before (in 2019 in Kolkata), so I had a general idea of what the conditions would be like. But FIDE, to their credit, managed to surprise me. There's nothing to say about the chess aspect. It's one of those places you won't regret leaving". These remarks quickly drew a barrage of criticism from chess fans and observers.
Many have interpreted Nepomniachtchi's comments as unsportsmanlike, with some labeling him a "sore loser". Social media platforms and chess forums have been flooded with reactions, with users expressing disappointment and accusing him of deflecting blame for his loss. One Reddit user wrote, "I literally predicted this when he was losing that he would definitely complain about something". Another added, "Kramnik 2.0 in the works, mark my word Ian gonna go full lunatic in 10 years". Others were equally scathing: "Complains about 'conditions' but never specifying what," one comment read. Another user wrote, "It's one thing to complain beforehand, but doing this right after losing is just bitterness".
Diptayan Ghosh, rated 2573, achieved a significant victory against Nepomniachtchi, who is rated 2732. Ghosh himself expressed his disbelief and excitement after the win, stating, "First of all I myself can't believe that I won the game without having to go to tiebreaks. It's definitely the biggest win of my career so far. This will motivate me to go further in my career". He also revealed that he had prepared a new opening for the first round but used it in the game against Nepomniachtchi. "I started as the underdog in this match. Yesterday's game was a pretty dull draw, but today I played a new opening which I haven't played before. In the opening part, I think I equalised, but in between, he made a small inaccuracy and after that I got a very pleasant position. Maybe he made some few more inaccuracies and I just won a pawn. It was an opposite colour bishop end game but I think I converted it smoothly,” Ghosh said.
Nepomniachtchi's reaction is not entirely out of character, as some observers have pointed out a history of similar behavior. Some users on Reddit highlighted instances where Nepomniachtchi has been accused of making excuses or insinuating cheating after losses against Indian players in the past. These instances include the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad, the 2024 Candidates Tournament, and other online events.
The controversy comes amidst a World Cup tournament already marked by the absence of several top players, including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana. Carlsen has previously criticized FIDE's handling of classical chess and has focused more on faster formats and esports.
Following his defeat, Nepomniachtchi reportedly left the playing hall and checked out of his hotel within an hour, further fueling the perception of a disgruntled player. FIDE officials confirmed that Nepomniachtchi did not raise an official complaint regarding the conditions.
