The 2025 FIDE World Cup resumed today in Goa after a scheduled rest day, bringing renewed excitement to the knockout tournament featuring 206 elite players from over 80 countries. Running from October 30 to November 27, the event offers the top three finishers a coveted spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the final stage before challenging for the World Chess Championship title.
Round 4 Highlights
India continues to shine on home soil, with five grandmasters advancing to Round 4: Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, Pentala Harikrishna, Karthik Venkataraman, and Pranav V.
Arjun Erigaisi vs. Peter Leko: Arjun, India’s top-rated player, faces legendary Hungarian grandmaster Peter Leko. Having advanced confidently through the earlier rounds without tiebreaks, Arjun is eyeing a deep run, while Leko, though semi-retired, remains a formidable opponent.
R. Praggnanandhaa vs. Daniil Dubov: Praggnanandhaa, one of the rising stars of Indian chess, takes on the inventive Russian grandmaster Dubov, who competes under the FIDE flag.
Pentala Harikrishna vs. Nils Grandelius: Harikrishna meets Sweden’s Nils Grandelius, aiming to continue his strong performance in the tournament.
Karthik Venkataraman: The young Indian grandmaster won his Round 3 tiebreak against Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac to advance.
Pranav V: Also secured his spot in Round 4, continuing India’s strong representation in the tournament.
However, Vidit Gujrathi and S.L. Narayanan were eliminated after tough tiebreak losses in Round 3.
Notable Upsets
The tournament has already seen some shocking results. Reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju was ousted in Round 3 by Frederik Svane, marking a major upset. Other top players, including Anish Giri and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, were also eliminated, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the knockout format.
Tournament Format
Each match in the World Cup consists of two classical games with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, plus 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, and a 30-second increment from move one. Tied matches go into tiebreaks, keeping players and fans on edge. Round 4 games are scheduled from November 11 to 13, starting at 15:00 IST.
With India’s Arjun Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa among the leading contenders, the FIDE World Cup in Goa promises thrilling clashes and high-stakes drama as the competition heads toward the final stages.
For live updates and detailed results, visit worldcup2025.fide.com.
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