India’s Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi drew upon his experience to end the spirited campaign of 12-year-old Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro, while GMs Pranav V and Pranesh M also advanced to the third round of the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Panaji on Thursday.
After being stretched in the classical games by the young sensation, Vidit finally broke through in the second rapid encounter. Playing with the black pieces, the 31-year-old converted his positional edge into a 52-move victory to seal the match 2.5–1.5 on aggregate. The triumph also ensured Vidit’s place alongside fellow Indians D Gukesh, Arjun Erigasi, P Harikrishna, Karthik Venkatraman, and Diptayan Ghosh in the next round of the competition.
Reflecting on the high-pressure tie, Vidit admitted that the matchup was far from straightforward.
“It feels good to qualify for the next round,” he said after the win. “It was not an easy match, so it feels good all the more.”
Vidit, however, was full of praise for Oro, who has drawn global attention with his fearless play.
“The way young players play chess is very different because they have grown up with computers and have much more experience than the previous generation,” he explained. “It’s not like there are many prodigies. He is special because at the age of 12, he is already playing like a seasoned player.”
Vidit’s next challenge will be against American GM Sam Shankland, who defeated veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk in the second round.
Pranav and Pranesh Continue India’s Strong Run
On another board, World Junior Champion Pranav V showed maturity beyond his years, rebounding from his loss in the second classical game against Norway’s Aryan Tari. Pranav took control in the first rapid game, converting a balanced rook-pawn ending into victory in 44 moves. In the return leg, he held Tari to a solid draw with black pieces to clinch the tie 2.5–1.5 on aggregate.
“Today I just tried to play my game and not think about the earlier two games. My preparations worked out,” said Pranav after securing qualification. He now faces Lithuanian GM Titas Stremavicius, who caused a major upset by knocking out American star Wesley So in the previous round.
Meanwhile, GM Pranesh M produced another composed performance against Germany’s Dimitrij Kollars. In the second rapid game, the Indian capitalized on a positional slip in the 24th move and methodically built his advantage to secure victory in 48 moves. Pranesh’s aggregate 3–1 win sets up a third-round clash with Germany’s top player, GM Vincent Keymer.
Mixed Fortunes for Other Indians
The day, however, wasn’t without setbacks for the Indian contingent. GM Raunak Sadhwani bowed out after losing to Armenia’s Robert Hovhannisyan (1–3), while GM Nihal Sarin fell to Greece’s Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (1.5–2.5) despite fighting displays in both classical and rapid stages.
Elsewhere, the tournament saw another shock exit as 10th seed GM Hans Niemann of the USA crashed out. Niemann lost the first rapid game after a marathon 77-move battle against Italy’s Lorenzo Lodici, following two draws in the classical phase. Lodici’s resilience ensured another major upset in an already unpredictable World Cup.
Indian Results – Round 2 (Tiebreaks)
- GM Vidit Gujrathi bt IM Faustino Oro (ARG) 2.5–1.5
- GM Pranav V bt GM Aryan Tari (NOR) 2.5–1.5
- GM Pranesh M bt GM Dimitrij Kollars (GER) 3–1
- GM Raunak Sadhwani lost to GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM) 1–3
- GM Nihal Sarin lost to GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (GRE) 1.5–2.5
With Vidit leading the charge into the third round and several Indian names still alive in the draw, the FIDE World Cup 2025 continues to reinforce India’s depth of talent on the global chess stage.
