New Delhi: Indian Grandmasters Narayanan SL, Diptayan Ghosh, and Aronyak Ghosh advanced to the second round of the FIDE World Cup 2025, delivering strong performances in their respective tiebreak matches on Monday.
Narayanan showcased exceptional form, defeating IM Steven Rojas of Peru in back-to-back rapid games. Playing black in the first encounter, he secured victory in 52 moves before wrapping up the second game in just 22 moves with white. “I felt confident in the tiebreak. In shorter formats, I usually play well,” Narayanan said after the match. He will now face GM Nikita Vitiugov of England in the next round.
On a nearby board, Diptayan Ghosh overcame GM Peng Xiongjian of China, winning the first game in 70 moves with a superior pawn structure and clinching the second in 46 moves. His victory set up a high-profile second-round clash with GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Meanwhile, Aronyak Ghosh continued his impressive run, advancing after a commanding display in the second phase of the tiebreak. He had earlier stunned Polish Grandmaster Mateusz Bartel in the classical format on Sunday and followed it up with two rapid wins, forcing Bartel to resign in 54 and 20 moves respectively. Aronyak will now meet GM Levon Aronian of the USA in the next round.
The FIDE World Cup 2025, named the Viswanathan Anand Cup in honour of the Indian legend, features 206 players from 82 countries competing in a single-elimination format.
India has had a strong start to the tournament, with Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Pranav V, Raunak Sadhwani, Pranesh M, Karthik Venkatraman, and Iniyan Pa also advancing to round two. Eight top-ranked Indian players had already received byes into this stage.
India is guaranteed at least one spot in the third round, as Karthik Venkatraman will face GM Aravindh Chithambaram in an all-Indian second-round clash on Tuesday.
