The FIDE World Cup, which began on home soil with a great deal of enthusiasm for the Indian contingent, was dealt another painful blow after the last edition’s finalist, R Praggnanandhaa, was eliminated in a fourth-round tie-break by Russian Daniil Dubov on Thursday.
Dubov’s strategy was as unorthodox as it was deliberate. Ironically, one of the most creative minds in chess adopted a style that seemed boring and risky. For the third round in a row, Dubov effectively conceded classic matches, not even remotely playing for the win. Instead, he closes the board, forcing players to funnel opponents towards his preferred area – the shorter time controls where he has a decisive advantage over most parts of the field.
For Prajanananda, the task of beating the former world speedster champion in his all-time favorite format was a huge challenge. It became even more difficult when the Indian prodigy settled for a draw in the first 15+10-minute tiebreak after just five minutes and 12 moves. Dubov had set a trap, and Pragnananda walked right into it.
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The Russian Master had predicted that Pragnananda, armed with the white pieces, would be too ambitious to resist. This was exactly where he planned to strike.
“I have already told my friends that this is the strategy; we paint in white and play in black because he (Prajnananda) is always ambitious with white. The same thing happened today,” Dubov told broadcasters after the win. “It’s not that I was afraid or wanted to blitz too much, it’s just that I realized I would probably have better chances with the Lions in the long run. He tried to blitz but I think he was outplayed to be honest and I somehow managed to pull it off.”
Arjun Erejesi defeated Peter Leko in the fourth round of the World Cup. (Photo: FIDE/Michal Valusza)
The plan worked to perfection. Dubov bided his time with the black pieces and pounced when Pragnananda passed the white pieces. The 2023 World Cup finalist struggled to stay afloat, setting little traps even at the losing end, but outsmarting a mind like Dubov’s was a bridge too far. By step 53, Pragnananda resigned.
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Dubov noted that his opponent was not at his peak throughout the event. “I think overall he (Prajnananda) did not show his best in this tournament, not just in this match. The match was very close, but I think I had some precious innings and in the match even though I wanted to get a draw with White, I actually didn’t mind really playing. It’s just that with White against someone who is well prepared, I don’t actually know how to get out of the opener without taking a lot of risk,” he said.
The loss reduced the Indian squad to just two players from the 24 players from the host nation’s squad. Arjun Erejesi brought an end to the remarkable career of former World Championship finalist Peter Leko. The Hungarian, now semi-retired and best known as a commentator and coach for German prodigy Vincent Kemmer, defied expectations and consistently withstood pressure from the younger generation before falling to Arjun.
Pentala Harikrishna has qualified for the fifth round of the 2025 Chess World Cup after defeating Nils Grandelius. (Photo: FIDE/Michel Valusha)
Arjun entered the tie-break as the favourite. In the first match, he played in black, and had a good time advantage from the opening. He quickly became a pawn and systematically tightened the screws to turn his advantage. The next match was a must-win for Lekou with the Lions, but Arjun had no real problems, eventually defeating the 46-year-old veteran in two straight matches.
Another Indian who survived was Pentala Harikrishna. After two tense classic matches – in which his opponent, Swedish grandmaster Nils Grandelius, had a clear chance to win the second – the Indian veteran knew it was time to turn the match around. First, he escaped from a risky situation, and showed his perfect technique at the end of the game to salvage a tie. Then, in the second 15+10 quick match, the same end-game mastery allowed him to snatch victory, becoming only the second Indian to advance to the round of 16.
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A tough challenge now awaits both the Indians in the fifth round. Arjun is set to face two-time World Cup winner Levon Aronian, while Harikrishna will face in-form Mexican coach Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara.
Results (Indians):
Arjun Erejesi defeated Peter Leko (HUN); R Praggnanandhaa lost to Daniil Dubov (FID); Pentala Harikrishna defeated Nils Grandelius (Sweden).
(Tags for translation)Chess
