Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi continued his remarkable run at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa, holding Chinese star Wei Yi to a comfortable draw in the first classical quarterfinal game after knocking out two-time World Cup champion Levon Aronian in the previous round.
The 2773-rated Indian, currently the country’s brightest hope in elite classical chess, looks increasingly poised for a deep push toward the newly instituted Viswanathan Anand Cup final and the all-important Candidates 2026 berth that comes with it.
The first classical game of the quarterfinal, played on Monday at Hotel Resort Rio, saw Arjun neutralise Wei Yi’s energetic style with impressive poise. Choosing the solid Ruy Lopez Closed System, Arjun navigated the opening phase with excellent preparation and steered the game into structures he was fully comfortable with. Wei Yi, known for his tactical sharpness, could not generate any meaningful imbalance as Arjun kept steady control over the clock and the board.
By move 27, the position had resolved into a simplified rook-and-pawn ending in which neither side could realistically push for more. After crossing the 30-move requirement, the players repeated moves three times to split the point. The game lasted 31 moves, but what stood out most was Arjun’s speed and confidence he finished with more time on the clock than he started with, a rare phenomenon at this level and a testament to his preparation.
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With the second classical game scheduled for Tuesday, Arjun will have the advantage of the white pieces, putting him in a strong position to press for a spot in the semifinals.
Arjun’s composed quarterfinal opener comes on the back of one of his finest knockout performances to date his black-pieces victory over Levon Aronian in Round 5. After drawing the first game with white, Arjun entered Game 2 needing to withstand Aronian’s pressure, but instead delivered a performance that flipped the match on its head.
Rejecting a draw offer from the Armenian legend, Arjun assessed that Aronian was satisfied with equality and seized his moment. A complex middlegame followed in which Arjun gradually tightened the screws, coordinating his queen, bishop, and knight into a decisive attacking setup. By move 38, Aronian’s king was trapped in the h1 corner with no escape, forcing resignation and securing Arjun’s passage with a 1.5–0.5 aggregate win.
“It was a tense middle game. I wasn’t sure if I was better. But after he played knight e3 and offered a draw, I felt confident I could press because he was happy with equality,” Arjun said post-match.
The win was particularly significant as Aronian remains one of the most experienced knockout performers in the world, having twice won the World Cup and reached multiple semifinals. Arjun’s victory not only showcased his maturity but reaffirmed his status as one of the two remaining top-10 seeds still alive in the competition.
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While Arjun’s draw with Wei Yi headlined the day from an Indian perspective, the remaining quarterfinal matches also produced tight battles. Former U.S. Champion Sam Shankland held Andrey Esipenko to a 38-move draw, while Uzbekistan’s rising star Sindarov Javokhir split the point with Peru’s Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara in 39 moves.
The day’s only decisive game came from Nodirbek Yakubboev, the 2023 World Rapid Champion, who defeated Germany’s Alexander Donchenko. The Uzbek GM continued his strong form from the previous round, where he eliminated Armenia’s Gabriel Sargissian in just 35 moves.
Quarterfinal Game 1 Results
- Wei Yi ½–½ Arjun Erigaisi
- Sam Shankland ½–½ Andrey Esipenko
- Sindarov Javokhir ½–½ Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara
- Yakubboev Nodirbek 1–0 Alexander Donchenko
With Arjun now just one classical game away from the semifinals, the tension grows in Panaji.
A win with white on Tuesday would take him into the final four, within touching distance of a possible place in the Candidates and a milestone moment in Indian chess history.
