Andrey Esipenko secured third place at the 2025 FIDE World Cup with a commanding victory over Nodirbek Yakubboev, while Wei Yi and Javokhir Sindarov calmly drew their second classical game—setting the stage for a thrilling tiebreak finale to decide the champion.
GM Arjun Erigaisi missed a promising advantage against GM Wei Yi in the second classical game of their FIDE World Cup 2025 quarterfinal, resulting in another draw and forcing a tiebreak. While several matches move to rapid playoffs, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev became the only player to seal a semifinal spot outright.
Goa witnessed a historic moment as CM Dr. Pramod Sawant made the ceremonial first move in the match between World Champion D. Gukesh and GM Kazybek Nogerbek, in the presence of chess legends Viswanathan Anand, GM Abhijeet Kunte, MLA Praveen Arlekar, and other dignitaries. The event marks a milestone for India in hosting prestigious global chess tournaments.
