Arjun Erigaisi holds Wei Yi to quick draw in FIDE Chess World Cup quarterfinals

India’s Arjun Erigaisi held China’s Wei Yi to a solid draw with the black pieces in the first game of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 quarterfinals at the Resort Rio Convention Centre, Goa, on Monday. The match, the last remaining encounter involving an Indian competitor in the tournament, concluded in just 31 moves and 59 minutes.

Both players began with an hour and 30 minutes on the clock, but after a precise and risk-free approach, Arjun finished the game with 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 3 seconds, gaining over five minutes on Wei Yi. The Warangal grandmaster displayed exceptional accuracy of 99.5% with black, while Wei Yi’s precision was equally impressive at 99% with white.

Playing a safe but calculated game, Arjun appeared focused on keeping his chances alive for the second game with the white pieces. A win in the quarterfinal would bring him closer to a spot in the Candidates Tournament, a milestone he narrowly missed in 2024. India’s other top players, R. Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and D. Gukesh, secured places in last year’s Candidates Tournament, with Gukesh later becoming the youngest-ever World Champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren.

The quarterfinal tie against Wei Yi is expected to be the sternest challenge for Arjun in Goa. If he can overcome the Chinese grandmaster, he will face the winner of the Andrey Esipenko vs Sam Shankland match in the semifinals.

Today, Arjun will be back on the board for Game 2 of the quarterfinals, where he will have the white pieces and a chance to seize the initiative.

Earlier in the tournament, a record 24 Indian players participated in the 206-player field. After early exits in the first four rounds, only Arjun and Pentala Harikrishna advanced to Round 5, where Harikrishna was eliminated in tiebreaks by Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara.