Indian chess star R. Praggnanandhaa has won his third-round match at the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, while fellow Indian and reigning champion D. Gukesh was unexpectedly eliminated.
Praggnanandhaa faced Armenia’s Robert Hovhannisyan and played a smart game, sacrificing an exchange to gain a strong position. He converted this advantage into a win in 42 moves, securing his place in the next round. “I am happy with my game today as things went as I planned,” he said.
Gukesh, on the other hand, lost to Germany’s Frederik Svane. Gukesh’s position weakened early, and Svane capitalized in the knight-and-pawn endgame to claim victory, knocking Gukesh out of the tournament. Svane said, “I didn’t expect to win this game… but the endgame was easy to play for me.”
Overall, four Indian players, Arjun Erigaisi, Pranav Venkatesh, Pentala Harikrishna including Praggnanandhaa, advanced to Round 4, while Gukesh, Diptayan Ghosh, and Pranesh M were eliminated. Some others will play tie-breaks to decide their fate.
The World Cup continues, with three spots available for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, making the next rounds highly competitive.
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