It was a tense day for Indian chess at the FIDE World Cup 2025 as all four remaining Indian players R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, P Harikrishna, and Karthik Venkataraman had to settle for draws in the opening games of Round 4.
While Arjun, Harikrishna, and Karthik comfortably held their own with the black pieces, it was Praggnanandhaa who had to dig deep to avoid defeat against the creative Russian-born GM Daniil Dubov.
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The 19-year-old Grandmaster, playing white, appeared to be in early control but erred with a premature d-pawn push on move 14. The misstep left him under mounting pressure as Dubov’s pieces sprang to life. Facing time trouble in the middle game, Praggnanandhaa was forced to defend with precision as Dubov searched for a breakthrough.
However, the former World Rapid champion missed a tactical continuation that could have given him a clear edge. Both players eventually repeated moves to reach the 41-move mark, agreeing to a draw after the first time control.
In contrast, second seed Arjun Erigaisi had a much quieter afternoon. Facing veteran Hungarian GM Peter Leko with the black pieces, the 21-year-old Indian chose a solid setup and never allowed any real imbalances. Leko, returning to individual competition after a six-year hiatus, showed flashes of his classical depth but avoided complications once Arjun’s rook took control of the open ‘a’ file. The game fizzled out into a draw by repetition after just 20 moves.
“It was a very interesting game. Arjun came up with a big surprise,” Leko said afterward. “I knew the lines but hadn’t analysed them deeply, and being low on time, I decided to repeat. I actually like playing with black, so I’ll try to push in the next game.”
For Harikrishna and Karthik, too, the day brought steady, uneventful results. Harikrishna, wielding the black pieces against Swedish GM Nils Grandelius, was never in danger as the game balanced out quickly, ending peacefully after 32 moves. Meanwhile, Karthik Venkataraman continued his impressive run at the event by neutralising Vietnamese No. 1 GM Le Quang Liem in 36 moves a result that keeps him well in contention heading into the return leg.
Elsewhere, two-time World Cup champion Levon Aronian made the most of his white pieces to secure the only decisive result among the top matches. The Armenian-American defeated Poland’s Radoslaw Wojtaszek in 37 moves, showcasing his trademark positional precision. Another notable result came from GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, who stunned GM Alexey Sarana with black in a 39-move tactical affair.
With the first leg of Round 4 completed, all eyes now turn to the second games on Wednesday, where the Indians will look to press for victories with the white pieces. Arjun, in particular, will be eager to break through against Leko to secure an early berth in the pre-quarterfinals, while Praggnanandhaa must reset after his nervy opener against Dubov.
India Results – Round 4, Game 1 (as of 7:30 PM IST):
- GM Peter Leko (HUN) drew with GM Arjun Erigaisi (IND) 0.5–0.5
- GM R Praggnanandhaa (IND) drew with GM Daniil Dubov (FID) 0.5–0.5
- GM Nils Grandelius (SWE) drew with GM P Harikrishna (IND) 0.5–0.5
- GM Le Quang Liem (VIE) drew with GM Karthik Venkataraman (IND) 0.5–0.5
- GM Pranav (IND) drew with GM Nodirebek (SWE) 0.5–0.5
With all five Indians still in contention, Round 4 remains finely poised promising another gripping day of chess in Panaji.
