FIDE World Cup: Indians Hold Firm As Harikrishna Forces Tie-Break; Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa Draw

Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, and P Harikrishna held their ground in tense fourth-round encounters at the Chess World Cup on Wednesday, with Harikrishna clawing his way out of a tough

position to force a tie-break.

Erigaisi played solidly to split the point after 36 moves against Hungarian veteran Peter Leko, while Praggnanandhaa also settled for a draw after 30 moves against Russia’s Daniil Dubov. Harikrishna, meanwhile, faced heavy pressure from Sweden’s Nils Grandelius but showed admirable composure to escape with a draw after 38 moves in a tricky bishop-and-pawn endgame.

The result means Harikrishna will head to a tie-break on Thursday for a place in the Round of 16.

Erigaisi’s Preparation Tested

Playing with white, Erigaisi opted for the Nimzo-Indian Defence and appeared to be well within his preparation early on. The 21-year-old blitzed through the opening moves and looked comfortable, even gaining time on the clock by move 16. But Leko, one of the most seasoned positional players on the circuit, held firm.

The Indian traded queens on move 20 after a long think and tried to press with a slight edge, but the Hungarian’s precise defence left no room for breakthroughs.

“I wasn’t afraid of Arjun’s line,” Leko admitted afterward. “The move b5 is quite solid—there’s no miracle there. But when he’s blitzing his moves, there’s always some pressure. Still, it was more or less equal all the time.”

Pragg Stays Composed

Praggnanandhaa, facing former World Rapid champion Dubov, was content with a balanced result with black pieces. The 19-year-old Indian, known for his dynamic style, stayed solid in the middlegame to neutralize Dubov’s creative play and now heads into the first tie-break game again with black pieces.

Harikrishna’s Great Escape

Harikrishna found himself under early pressure despite having the white pieces against Grandelius. But in a calm, calculated display of endgame technique, the Indian stalwart forced a draw from a difficult bishop-pawn position to keep his tournament hopes alive.

Elsewhere, Mexican GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara became the first player to reach the Round of 16, drawing with Alexey Sarana after winning the first game. Two-time champion Levon Aronian also advanced after a safe draw against Radoslaw Wojtaszek.

India’s youngest hope, World Junior Champion Pranav V, bowed out after losing his second game to Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev in 38 moves.

(with PTI inputs)