Panaji, Nov 25 (LatestNewsX) – In the FIDE World Cup Goa 2025 final, GM Wei Yi and GM Javokhir Sindarov will both head to a tiebreak after opting for a safe draw in the second game. At the same time, GM Andrey Esipenko has guaranteed that at least one Russian will be in the Candidates by beating Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev in the third‑place playoff on Tuesday.
In the battle for the highly prized Viswanathan Anand Cup, neither Wei nor Sindarov wanted to risk a loss. After drawing the first game with the black pieces, the Chinese GM repeated the same line his opponent used in the semi‑final against Yakubboev, and the game slipped into a quick draw by the compulsory 30‑move mark.
The third‑place match was far more dynamic. Yakubboev, after falling behind in the opening game against Esipenko on Monday, pushed aggressively for a win. However, his plan backfired by move eleven, giving Esipenko the initiative. The Russian, on behalf of FIDE, pressed the advantage and forced Yakubboev to resign after 26 moves.
“It feels good to have qualified for the Candidates. Today, it was a very difficult game to play at this stage. I could not even calculate anything. I was just putting my pieces in place. It was important to win the first game and then he needed a must‑win,” said Esipenko after securing his spot.
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