New Delhi:
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa produced a brilliant performance on Saturday to defeat Armenia’s Robert Hovhannisyan, booking his spot in the fourth round of the FIDE World Cup 2025, as four Indian players advanced in the prestigious global chess event. However, the day also brought heartbreak as World Champion D Gukesh was knocked out of the competition by Germany’s Frederik Svane.
The tournament, being held under the aegis of the FIDE World Chess Federation, features 206 players from 82 countries competing in a single-elimination knockout format for the coveted Viswanathan Anand Cup, named after the Indian chess legend.
Praggnanandhaa Outplays Hovhannisyan with Precision
After enduring a tough tiebreak in the previous round, Praggnanandhaa showed remarkable composure in the second game of Round 3. Having drawn the first encounter with black pieces, the Chennai prodigy took charge in the second after a sharp middlegame exchange.
According to a FIDE release, Hovhannisyan appeared to have neutralized Pragg’s early advantage, but the Indian Grandmaster found a clear plan and exerted decisive pressure with his queen and rook combination. The Armenian eventually resigned after 42 moves, handing Praggnanandhaa a 1.5–0.5 victory on aggregate.
Four Indians Through to Round Four
Alongside Praggnanandhaa, P Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi, and V Pranav also secured their places in the next round with solid performances.
Harikrishna, who had already taken the lead in the first game with white, ensured his progress with a quick draw against Belgium’s GM Daniel Dardha.
Arjun Erigaisi and V Pranav, both playing with black pieces, also opted for safety-first draws to complete identical 1.5–0.5 aggregate wins.
Heartbreak for World Champion Gukesh D
In one of the day’s biggest upsets, World Champion D Gukesh was eliminated by Germany’s Frederik Svane. After drawing the first game with black pieces, Gukesh launched an ambitious attack in the second, looking for a win. However, Svane defended tenaciously, escaped time pressure, and eventually forced Gukesh to resign in a knight-pawn endgame, sealing the match 1.5–0.5.
Other Key Results and Next Matchups
Among international players, top seed Anish Giri of the Netherlands was also eliminated after losing to Alexander Donchenko of Germany in 47 moves.
Arjun Erigaisi will now face Hungarian veteran Peter Leko, who comfortably defeated Kirill Alekseenko 2–0 in Round 3. Meanwhile, Vidit Gujrathi, Karthik Venkataraman, and S L Narayanan will contest tiebreakers on Sunday after both their games ended in draws.
Indian Results (Round 3, Game 2):
- GM Gukesh D lost to GM Frederik Svane (GER) — (0.5 : 1.5 aggregate)
- GM Arjun Erigaisi drew with GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) — (1.5 : 0.5 aggregate)
- GM R Praggnanandhaa beat GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM) — (1.5 : 0.5 aggregate)
- GM P Harikrishna drew with GM Daniel Dardha (BEL) — (1.5 : 0.5 aggregate)
- GM V Pranav drew with GM Titas Stremavicius (LTU) — (1.5 : 0.5 aggregate)
- GM Diptayan Ghosh lost to GM Gabriel Sargissian (ARM) — (0.5 : 1.5 aggregate)
- GM S L Narayanan drew with GM Yu Yangyi (CHN) — (1 : 1 aggregate)
- GM Vidit Gujrathi drew with GM Sam Shankland (USA) — (1 : 1 aggregate)
- GM Karthik Venkataraman drew with GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU) — (1 : 1 aggregate)
- GM M Pranesh lost to GM Vincent Keymer (GER) — (0.5 : 1.5 aggregate)