Diptayan Ghosh Shocks Ian Nepomniachtchi in FIDE World Cup Upset

Major Upset in FIDE World Cup

Panaji (Goa) [India], November 5: In a stunning turn of events, Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh achieved a remarkable victory over two-time Candidates Tournament champion Ian Nepomniachtchi, utilizing the black pieces. Meanwhile, GM P Harikrishna showcased an impressive performance, defeating Arseniy Nesterov to secure his place in the third round of the FIDE World Cup 2025.

Also moving forward are world champion Gukesh D and the top-ranked Indian player Arjun Erigaisi. Gukesh, who had drawn his initial game with white pieces, triumphed over Kazakhstan's 2024 world junior champion Kazybek Nogerbek in a match that lasted 59 moves.

Arjun stood out as the only Indian to win both of his games, overcoming GM Martin Petrov from Bulgaria in 48 moves with white pieces, marking his second consecutive victory.

The spotlight was undoubtedly on Diptayan, who had drawn his first game against Nepomniachtchi. He capitalized on a minor mistake from the Russian in the opening phase, ultimately winning in 47 moves. "Defeating Nepo is a significant achievement. It's a memorable day for me, and it will take a while to fully appreciate this win," Diptayan expressed, reflecting on his first World Cup experience.

Earlier in the day, Harikrishna made a bold move by sacrificing his queen on the eighth turn to capture Nesterov's knight and bishop, leading to a swift victory in just 29 moves, making him the first Indian to advance to the third round.

"I had prepared this strategy nine years ago and was uncertain whether to implement it now, considering my opponent's potential familiarity with it," Harikrishna noted on Tuesday, discussing his tactical approach. "Ultimately, I decided to go for it," he added.

The FIDE World Cup 2025 features a knockout format with 206 competitors from 82 nations competing for the prestigious Viswanathan Anand Cup, named after the legendary Indian chess player.

In Round 2, 17 Indian players participated, with GM Aravindh Chithambaram and GM Karthik Venkataraman engaged in an all-Indian matchup.

Other Indian players, including GMs Raunak Sadhwani, Vidit Gujrathi, R Praggnanandhaa, and Narayanan SL, are set for tiebreak rounds after drawing their matches.

World junior champion Pranav V will also face a tiebreak on Thursday after losing his second game to Aryan Tari of Norway, despite winning the first game with black pieces.

Indian results (Round 2, Game 2)

GM Nogerbek Kazybek (KAZ) lost to GM Gukesh D (0.5-1.5 aggregate)

GM Arjun Erigaisi bt GM Martin Petrov (BUL) (2:0 aggregate)

GM Temur Kuybokarov (AUS) drew with GM R Praggnanandhaa (1:1 aggregate)

GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly drew with GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) (0.5:1 aggregate)

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (FID) lost to GM Diptayan Ghosh (0.5-1.5 aggregate)

IM Aronyak Ghosh drew with GM Levon Aronian (USA) (0.5-1.5 aggregate)

IM Faustino Oro (ARG) drew with GM Vidit Gujrathi (1:1 aggregate)

GM Abhimanyu Mishra lost to GM Saleh Salem (Ira) (0.5-1.5 aggregate)

GM P Harikrishna bt GM Arseniy Nesterov (FID) (1.5:0.5 aggregate)

GM Iniyan P lost to GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) (0.5-1.5 aggregate)

GM Nikita Vitiugov (ENG) drew with GM Narayanan SL (1:1 aggregate)

GM Pranav V lost to GM Aryan Tari (NOR) (1:1 aggregate)

GM Raunak Sadhwani drew with GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM) (1:1 aggregate)

GM Karthikeyan Murali drew with GM Pouya Idani (IRA) (1:1 aggregate).