FIDE World Cup: Pranav, Pranesh, Ganguly provide winning start for India, Divya Deshmukh goes down fighting in first game
In Arpora, Goa, the FIDE World Cup 2025 kicked off with a bang. The opening round saw three of India’s top grandmasters claim easy wins, while women’s champion Divya Deshmukh fell short against a strong Greek opponent.
Indian stars start strong
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Pranav V – the world junior champion – beat Algerian IM Ala Eddine Boulrens in 48 moves. He played white against a Slav Defense, keeping control from the start and picking up a full point.
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Pranesh M – the other grandmaster – defeated Kazakh IM Satbek Akhmedinov in 48 moves. His play was sharp and decisive.
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Surya Shekhar Ganguly – a seasoned GM – outmaneuvered Azerbaijan’s GM Ahmad Ahmadzada with a Ruy Lopez. He wrapped up the match in just 37 moves and secured another win for India.
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Local favourite Leon Luke Mendonca earned a draw against China’s Shixu B Wang after a 50‑move battle, while Karlik Saha split points with Peruvian IM Steven Rojas.
Divya Deshmukh’s tough match
The only woman in the field, 19‑year‑old Deshmukh, met Greek GM Stamatis Kourkoulos‑Arditis. After a blunder on move 17, she could only force a pawn exchange and then a rook‑pawn endgame. The Greek maintained pressure on the b‑file, and Deshmukh resigned after 41 moves.
Other notable games
- Raunak Sadhwani held a South African FM, Daniel Barrish, to a draw in 56 moves despite a blunder.
- Argentina’s youngest player, Faustino Oro, limped out after a close game against Brkic Ante.
- Turkey’s rising star, GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, took a quick win over Nagi Abugenda, forcing a resignation after only seven moves in a bold opening attack.
Why it matters
The World Cup is a single‑elimination, 206‑player knockout featuring competitors from 82 countries. The prize is the Viswanathan Anand Cup, named after chess legend Viswanathan Anand. India’s dominant performance in the first round gave the nation a strong start, and the results show the depth of Indian chess talent on the world stage.
Round‑1 results (Indian players)
| Player | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pranav V | Ala Eddine Boulrens (ALG) | 1:0 |
| Raunak Sadhwani | Daniel Barrish (RSA) | 0.5:0.5 |
| Pranesh M | Satbek Akhmedinov (KAZ) | 1:0 |
| Leon Luke Mendonca | Shixu B Wang (CHN) | 0.5:0.5 |
| Narayanan SL | Steven Rojas (PER) | 0.5:0.5 |
| Iniyan Pa | Dylan Berdayes (CUB) | 1:0 |
| Karthik Venkataraman | Roberto Garcia Pantoja (CUB) | 0.5:0.5 |
| Surya Shekhar Ganguly | Ahmad Ahmadzada (AZE) | 1:0 |
| Aronyak Ghosh | Mateusz Bartel (POL) | 0:1 |
| Divya Deshmukh | Stamatis Kourkoulos‑Arditis (GRE) | 0:1 |
| Himal Gusain | Andy Woodward (USA) | 0:1 |
| Neelash Saha | Georg Meier (URU) | 0:1 |
These results will shape the next rounds as the field narrows toward the coveted Viswanathan Anand Cup.
Source: ianslive
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