Top seed D. Gukesh suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Germany’s Frederik Svane
GOA
After a nerve-wracking series of tie-breakers, the Chess World Cup has reached the last 32, promising high-stakes action on the black-and-white squares. The fourth round begins on Tuesday at Resort Rio, Goa, with India’s medal hopes resting squarely on Arjun Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa.
Top seed D. Gukesh suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Germany’s Frederik Svane, extending a difficult year for the 19-year-old Chennai prodigy. Other top 10 seeds including Anish Giri, Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov have also bowed out early.
India’s second and third seeds, however, remain in contention. Arjun has been solid throughout, winning his first three classical games and drawing the fourth. Praggnanandhaa has survived some tense moments but continues to fight on. A top-three finish is essential for Arjun to maintain realistic hopes of qualifying for the Candidates Tournament, which will decide Gukesh’s challenger for the next World Championship.
In the fourth round, Arjun faces Hungarian veteran Peter Leko, while Praggnanandhaa squares off against Russia’s Daniil Dubov. Other Indians advancing include V. Pranav, P. Harikrishna, and Karthik Venkataraman. Meanwhile, Vidit Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, and Aravindh Chithambaram, who were expected to progress further, have already been eliminated.
The knockout format has proved unforgiving, with several big names already eliminated. Remaining top seeds, including Vincent Keymer, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Richard Rapport, and Levon Aronian, will need to stay cautious if they hope to avoid joining the growing list of early exits.
With the tournament entering its decisive stages, all eyes are on India’s young stars as they attempt to carry the nation’s hopes forward.
