GM Karthik Venkataraman produced another assured performance to enter the fourth round of the FIDE World Cup 2025, defeating Romania’s GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac in the second rapid tiebreak game on Sunday.
Playing with the black pieces, Karthik capitalised on a superior minor-piece endgame, forcing Deac’s king into the corner and converting cleanly in 43 moves. The Indian grandmaster had held Deac to a draw in the first rapid game, building on a strong defensive effort from the classical portion of the match. Once the contest moved into faster time controls, Karthik looked far more comfortable and in control.
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“Classical game against Deac it was not too well but I somehow managed to defend. But in both the rapid games I played well. I don’t know if I was objectively winning in the first game but I was clearly better. Second game also it was smooth,” Karthik said after sealing his place in the next round. He will now face Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem, a former World Blitz champion and one of the most experienced players left in the draw.
Handling the World Cup Pressure
A two-time National Champion, Karthik acknowledged the unique demands of the World Cup format, which combines classical, rapid, and blitz games in an elimination structure.
“Chess players are not used to playing this kind of format. Normally it is Swiss or round robin and one can relax a bit. But here you are always under pressure that you can be eliminated and that pressure is a lot to handle,” he said.
With his victory, India will have five players competing in the fourth round, as the World Cup held as part of the Viswanathan Anand Cup cycle and three Candidate Spots moves into its decisive stages following a scheduled rest day on Monday.
While Karthik marched ahead, it was a painful exit for two other Indian contenders: GM Vidit Gujrathi and GM Narayanan SL.
Vidit began well in his match against American GM Sam Shankland, taking the first rapid tiebreak game in 75 moves after a prolonged strategic battle. But the momentum turned sharply. In the second game, pressed for time, Vidit misjudged a queen exchange and slipped into a losing position, allowing Shankland to equalise and push the match into a second rapid set. The Indian then lost the sixth game of the match with white pieces in 61 moves, ending his 2025 World Cup campaign. Narayanan SL endured one of the longest games of the day, a gruelling 125-move contest against China’s GM Yu Yangyi. Despite resourceful defending, Narayanan eventually faltered under the steady pressure of Yu’s active pieces.
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With the second game ending in a draw, the Chinese player advanced and Narayanan was eliminated.
Indian Results (Round 3, Tiebreaker)
- GM Karthik Venkataraman bt GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU) 2.5–1.5
- GM Narayanan SL lost to GM Yu Yangyi (CHN) 1.5–2.5
- GM Vidit Gujrathi lost to GM Sam Shankland (USA) 2.5–3.5
As the fourth round approaches, Indian interest remains strong led by Karthik’s impressive rise and supported by a core group pushing deep into the knockout stages.
The competition now heads into its business end, with every round promising sharper tests and higher stakes.
