India’s top chess players made strong showings at the FIDE World Cup 2025, with Grandmasters D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Pentala Harikrishna advancing to Round 3, while Diptayan Ghosh delivered a stunning upset over reigning World Blitz Co-champion Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Gukesh defeated Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek 1.5 – 0.5, and Erigaisi overcame Bulgaria’s Martin Petrov 2-0 to secure their spots in the next round. Harikrishna also moved forward, defeating GM Arseniy Nesterov, and will face the winner of the Daniel Dardha versus Grigoriy Oparin match.
Meanwhile, Diptayan Ghosh stunned the chess world by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi 1.5 – 0.5 with the black pieces, scoring the biggest win of his career. Ghosh’s victory over the former two-time World Championship challenger and reigning World Blitz co-champion secured his place in Round 3.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 continues in Goa as players compete for a spot in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, which decides the next challenger for the World Chess Championship.
