FIDE World Cup 2025: Praggnanandhaa survives scare; Arjun, Karthik, Harikrishna draw first game of round 4

In the ongoing FIDE World Cup 2025 on Tuesday (November 11), Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi, Karthik Venkataraman, and P Harikrishna all settled for draws while playing with black pieces in the opening game of round 4. Arjun, the second seed, quickly earned a draw after just 20 moves against Hungarian GM Peter Leko, while Harikrishna held Swedish GM Nils Grandelius to a draw in 32 moves. Venkataraman also shared the spoils in 36 moves against Vietnam's GM Le Quang Liem.

Meanwhile, two-time World Cup champion GM Levon Aronian secured a 37-move victory with white over GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek, and GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara triumphed over GM Alexey Sarana with black in 39 moves. Leko, who had not competed in an individual event for six years, decided to go for a draw by repetition after recognising Arjun's strong control of the ‘a’ file. Leko, who now faces a must-win game with black, expressed his intent to give it his all to keep advancing.

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"It was an interesting game. Arjun surprised me with his approach, and though I knew the lines, I hadn't analyzed them in-depth. With limited time, I opted for a draw," Leko was quoted as saying post-match, emphasising his preference for playing with black pieces and determination to push for a win. On the top boards, Praggnanandhaa encountered some difficulty against GM Daniil Dubov, making a mistake with his d-pawn on move 14. Despite being under time pressure, the young Indian GM survived the scare as Dubov failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The game ended in a draw after 41 moves, with both players racing against the clock to complete their moves before time control.

India results until 7:30 PM (Round 4, Game 1)

GM Peter Leko (HUN) drew with GM Arjun Erigaisi 0.5:0.5; GM R Praggnanandhaa drew with GM Daniil Dubov (FID) 0.5:0.5; GM Nils Grandelius (SWE) drew with GM P Harikrishna 0.5:0.5; GM Le Quang Liem (VIE) drew with GM Karthik Venkataraman0.5:0.5