Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
In a huge upset, world champion India's D Gukesh suffered a shock defeat against world no. 85 Frederik Svane of Germany in the third round to bow out of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 on Saturday, November 08. Gukesh was knocked out after losing 1.5-0.5 to Svane in the third round of the tournament in Goa.
Gukesh, who is ranked 9th in the world, drew the first game against Svane on black pieces before losing the second game under normal time control. The reigning world champion tested Svane to his limits, pushing for a victory, however, the German survived time pressure to force Gukesh to resign.
It was a shocking result for many as Gukesh was expected to sail to the Round of 32 with a win over the world no.85. Gukesh was the highest-ranked player in the tournament and was arguably one of the favourites for the title. However, his early elimination has sent shockwaves across the Indian chess fraternity.
Meanwhile, Indian grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa won their respective third-round clashes to enter the last 32 of the tournament. Erigaisi defeated Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan, while Praggnanandhaa got the better of Robert Hovhannisyan of Armenia.
Erigaisi secured a draw against Vokhidov, which was enough to confirm his berth in the next round, while Praggnanandhaa beat Hovhannisyan in the second game after drawing the first game on Friday. It was a mixed day for India in the competition after Gukesh's elimination from the third round.
Earlier in the day, Indian grandmasters P Harikrishna and V Pranav also qualified for the last 32 of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025. Harikrishna became the first Indian to make the cut in the next round after beating Belgium's Daniel Dardha, while Pranav defeated Titas Stremavicius of Lithuania 1.5-0.5.
Harikrishna, who won the first game against Dardha on black pieces, drew the second with white pieces to make it to the next round. Meanwhile, Pranav won first game against Stremavicius on white and drew the second on black pieces on Saturday to qualify.
