In the fifth round of the FIDE World Cup 2025, two Indian grandmasters took careful steps to keep their dreams alive. Arjun Erigaisi, playing white against two‑time champion Levon Aronian, was close to pushing his opponent into a tough position but ultimately split points after 41 moves and finished with a draw. Earlier in the day, P. Harikrishna faced Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara with black, and the pair could not break through a rook‑pawn endgame. After 41 moves both players agreed to a draw, keeping the match evenly balanced.
The tournament, held in Panaji, features 206 players from 82 countries fighting for the Viswanathan Anand Trophy and a spot in next season’s Candidates event. The field opened with 24 Indians, but after four rounds only two of them remain in contention for the title.
Arjun Erigaisi was eager to capitalize on a slight edge in the endgame. The game looked promising when Aronian hesitated on move 21, taking nearly half an hour. However, the Armenian grandmaster regrouped, found a saving line, and reversed the situation to keep a theoretical edge going into the second game where he has white.
P Harikrishna didn’t face the same surprise. He had prepared for Alcantara’s main line and the match slid quickly into a symmetrical rook‑pawn endgame. The players didn’t take a chance on a win and instead accepted a draw, which was one of six draws out of eight games played that day.
Earlier results show Erigaisi defeating Peter Leko in both rapid games, while Harikrishna had earlier taken a crucial win against Nils Grandelius to advance to the pre‑quarterfinals. In contrast, R. Praggnanandhaa’s run ended with a loss to former World Rapid champion Daniil Dubov, and two other Indian players, Pranav V and Karthik Venkataraman, also fell in round five. With three Indians tied on points, only two progressed to the next stage.
Key round‑five outcomes for India were:
– GM Arjun Erigaisi vs. GM Levon Aronian – Draw (0.5 each)
– GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara vs. GM P. Harikrishna – Draw (0.5 each)
The World Cup continues to deliver tight battles and unexpected turns as the field dwindles toward the final rounds.
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