Two Indians left in the fray at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 played contrasting games, only to eventually share the spoils in Game 1 of Round 5 as Friday proved a largely uneventful affair in Goa. It was a stark contrast to the mayhem of the fourth-round tiebreaks, which saw favourites R. Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer getting knocked out.
Pentala Harikrishna, playing with the black pieces, made a relatively quick draw against Mexico’s Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara and was the first to finish his game. Meanwhile, the highest-seeded player remaining, Arjun Erigaisi, pushed Armenian-American veteran Levon Aronian to the wall before the two mutually agreed to a draw after 41 moves, with Arjun holding the white pieces.
INTERACTIVE: Arjun Erigaisi vs Levon Aronian (USA)
Seven of the eight round of 16 matches ended without a decisive result. The sole exception was Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who defeated Germany’s Frederik Svane on the top board.
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In the Italian Game between Harikrishna and Martinez Alcantara, the pair coursed through the opening and middle game, showing a clear intention to settle the matter in the endgame. However, the resulting rook endgame offered little excitement for either side, concluding in 41 moves with both players still having nearly an hour on their clocks.
INTERACTIVE: P. Harikrishna vs Jose Martinez (MEX)
Although Arjun vs. Aronian also concluded after the same number of moves in a similar rook endgame, Arjun’s intent was completely different. He tried to create chances with his light pieces, but the two-time World Cup winner was well-prepared for the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Aronian negotiated the position calmly, denying Arjun the full point.
43-year-old Aronian, who is eyeing his seventh Candidates qualification, will now carry a slight edge into Saturday’s game, where he will have the white pieces against Arjun, a familiar face as his opponent.
FIDE World Cup | Results (Indians):
Arjun Erigaisi drew with Levon Aronian (USA); Pentala Harikrishna drew with Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (MEX).