Arjun Erigaisi stuns Aronian, enters Chess World Cup quarterfinals

India’s Arjun Erigaisi produced a remarkable performance to defeat two-time World Cup champion Levon Aronian(Armenian chess grandmaster) and secure his spot in the quarterfinals of the Chess World Cup 2025 in Goa.

The match began with a cautious first classical game, which ended in a draw, as both players tested each other’s strategies. In the second game, Arjun, playing with the black pieces, launched a precise counterattack that gradually outplayed Aronian. The young Indian grandmaster’s strong positional play and sharp calculation earned him a 1.5-0.5 victory, knocking out one of the most experienced players in the tournament.

Arjun, 22, has been steadily climbing the ranks and this victory marks one of the biggest wins of his career, as he overcomes a veteran who has twice lifted the World Cup trophy. His win is being hailed as a sign of India’s growing dominance in global chess, alongside stars like Viswanathan Anand, Pentala Harikrishna, and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

The other remaining Indian in the tournament, Pentala Harikrishna, faced Mexico’s José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara and drew once again, pushing their match to tiebreaks. Harikrishna will now battle in rapid or blitz games to decide who moves on.

With Erigaisi reaching the quarterfinals, India is poised to have at least one player in the final eight, underscoring the emergence of a new generation of Indian chess talent ready to challenge the world’s best. Fans and experts alike are watching closely to see how far he can go in this prestigious knockout event.