Panaji, November 2: It was a strong showing for India at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa as GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, GM Raunak Sadhwani, and GM Karthik Venkatraman advanced to the second round, while IM Aronyak Ghosh stunned Polish GM Mateusz Bartel to force a tiebreak. M Pranesh also qualified after a composed draw.
The 42-year-old Surya Shekhar Ganguly made quick work of Azerbaijan's GM Ahmad Ahmadzada in just 28 moves. Playing black, Ganguly capitalized on his opponent's aggressive approach to secure a 2-0 victory and become the first Indian to move into Round 2. He will now face French star GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a challenging second-round tie.
Sadhwani, Karthik and Pranesh Advance
GM Raunak Sadhwani bounced back from a shaky start to defeat FM Daniel Barrish of South Africa
with black pieces in 39 moves. The 19-year-old from Nagpur showed resilience after an error-prone first game to clinch the match 1.5-0.5.
GM Karthik Venkatraman also secured qualification with a 39-move victory over GM Roberto Garia Pantoja of Cuba, setting up a second-round clash with compatriot GM Aravindh Chithambaram VR.
Meanwhile, M Pranesh played a cautious endgame against Kazakhstan's IM Satbek Akhmedinov, drawing after 36 moves in a rook-pawn ending to safely move into the next round.
Aronyak Ghosh Forces a Tiebreak
IM Aronyak Ghosh produced one of the day's biggest surprises by defeating GM Mateusz Bartel in 41 moves to level their match 1-1. After losing the first game, Aronyak's strong positional play in the middle game gave him a decisive advantage which he converted expertly to stay alive in the tournament.
Other Indian Results and Tiebreakers
Several Indian GMs, including Raja Rithvik R, Diptayan Ghosh, Lalit Babu MR, and Narayanan SL, will now move into the rapid tiebreaks after drawing their second games:
- Raja Rithvik R drew with Kazybek Nogerbek (Kazakhstan).
- Diptayan Ghosh held GM Peng Xiongjian (China) in 39 moves.
- Lalit Babu MR drew with GM Max Warmerdam (Netherlands).
- Narayanan SL shared points with IM Steven Rojas (Peru).
Divya Deshmukh's Campaign Ends
Wild card entrant and reigning Women's World Cup champion GM Divya Deshmukh bowed out in the first round after losing 0-2 to Greek GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis. Despite a determined 73-move battle in the second game, her opponent's superior endgame technique and an extra pawn proved decisive.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 is being held in Panaji, Goa, with 206 players from 82 countries competing in a knockout format for the prestigious Viswanathan Anand Cup. The event also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, with top finishers earning valuable spots in the race for the world championship.
Indian Results Round 1 - Game 2
| Player | Opponent | Result (Match Score) |
|---|---|---|
| GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly | GM Ahmad Ahmadzada (AZE) | 2-0 |
| GM Raunak Sadhwani | FM Daniel Barrish (RSA) | 1.5-0.5 |
| GM Karthik Venkatraman | GM Roberto Garcia Pantoja (CUB) | 1.5-0.5 |
| M Pranesh | IM Satbek Akhmedinov (KAZ) | 1.5-0.5 |
| GM Iniyan P | GM Dylan Berdayes (CUB) | 1.5-0.5 |
| GM Diptayan Ghosh | GM Peng Xiongjian (CHN) | 1-1 |
| GM Raja Rithvik R | Kazybek Nogerbek (KAZ) | 1-1 |
| IM Aronyak Ghosh | GM Mateusz Bartel (POL) | 1-1 (Tiebreak) |
| GM Lalit Babu MR | GM Max Warmerdam (NED) | 1-1 |
| GM Narayanan SL | IM Steven Rojas (PER) | 1-1 |
| IM Himal Gusain | GM Andy Woodward (USA) | 0-2 |
| IM Harshavardhan GB | GM Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR) | 0.5-1.5 |
| IM Neelash Saha | GM Georg Meier (URU) | 0.5-1.5 |
| GM Leon Luke Mendonca | IM Shixu B Wang (CHN) | 0.5-1.5 |
| GM Divya Deshmukh | GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (GRE) | 0-2 |
