FIDE World Cup 2025: Arjun, Praggnanandhaa and Harikrishna to Play Tiebreaks After Fourth-Round Draws

November 13, 2025, New Delhi Three Indian chess stars — Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Pentala Harikrishna — will fight for a place in the round of 16 through tiebreaks after their fourth-round matches ended in draws at the FIDE World Cup 2025 on Wednesday. Arjun Erigaisi, playing with the white pieces, shared the point with Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko after 36 moves. Both players chose a solid approach, and the game ended peacefully without any major risks taken on either side. With this result, their match stands level at 1-1, sending them into the tiebreaks. Praggnanandhaa also played out a draw in his second classical game against Daniil Dubov of FIDE. The 30-move encounter was balanced from the start, with neither player finding a clear breakthrough. The two will now settle the contest in the faster time controls of rapid and blitz on Thursday. Meanwhile, Harikrishna faced a tough challenge from Sweden’s Nils Grandelius. Despite being under some pressure in the middle game, the experienced Indian Grandmaster defended well and managed to secure a draw after 38 moves. Like his compatriots, Harikrishna now moves into the tiebreak stage to decide who progresses further. While the Indian trio kept their chances alive, two other Indian players — Pranav V and Karthik Venkataraman — were knocked out of the tournament. World junior champion Pranav V lost to Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev, who secured victory with a 1.5–0.5 score after winning the first game. Similarly, Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem defeated Karthik Venkataraman by the same margin, ending his campaign. In other key results, Peruvian Grandmaster Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara became the first player to reach the round of 16. He drew his second game with Alexey Sarana after winning the first, making his aggregate score 1.5–0.5. Two-time World Cup champion Levon Aronian also advanced to the next round after holding Poland’s Radoslaw Wojtaszek to a steady 35-move draw with the black pieces. As the tournament heads into the tiebreak stage, the focus will be on Thursday’s rapid and blitz battles, where quicker thinking and nerves of steel will decide who advances. Arjun, Praggnanandhaa, and Harikrishna have all shown strong form so far, and Indian fans will be hoping at least one of them can move into the round of 16. For now, the three Indian Grandmasters remain very much in contention, and their next games promise to bring plenty of excitement and drama as the FIDE World Cup 2025 continues. India results (Round 4, Game 2): Arjun Erigaisi drew with Peter Leko (Hungary) – 1:1 aggregate R. Praggnanandhaa drew with Daniil Dubov (FIDE) – 1:1 aggregate P. Harikrishna drew with Nils Grandelius (Sweden) – 1:1 aggregate Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan) beat Pranav V. – 1.5:0.5 aggregate Le Quang Liem (Vietnam) beat Karthik Venkataraman – 1.5:0.5 aggregate FIDE World Cup 2025: Arjun, Praggnanandhaa and Harikrishna to Play Tiebreaks After Fourth-Round Draws It’s all coming down to the tiebreaks for India’s top chess trio — Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Pentala Harikrishna — at the FIDE World Cup 2025. All three drew their second classical games on Wednesday, keeping their round-of-16 hopes alive. Arjun, playing white against Hungary’s Peter Leko, agreed to a draw after 36 balanced moves. Praggnanandhaa held Daniil Dubov of FIDE in 30 moves, while Harikrishna defended strongly to split the point with Sweden’s Nils Grandelius after 38 moves. With both classical games drawn, the three Indians will now battle it out in rapid and blitz tiebreaks on Thursday. Each game will test their speed, precision, and nerves as one small mistake could decide the match. Meanwhile, Pranav V and Karthik Venkataraman exited the tournament after losing their fourth-round clashes. Among others, Peru’s Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara and Armenia’s Levon Aronian advanced safely to the next round. The tiebreaks promise intense, fast-paced chess — and India will be watching closely as its brightest minds chase spots in the round of 16.