FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 1.1: Pranav, Pranesh, Iniyan and Surya make a winning start

by Shahid Ahmed - 02/11/2025

GM Pranav Venkatesh, GM Pranesh M, GM Iniyan Pa and GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly are the four victors among the Indians at FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 1 Game 1. They just need a draw in Game 2 to advance to the next round. GM Divya Deshmukh, IM Neelash Saha, IM Harshavardhan G B, IM Himal Gusain and IM Aronyak Ghosh lost their respective games. It means they must win their second game to stay in the tournament. GM Raunak Sadhwani, GM Leon Luke Mendonca, GM S L Narayanan, GM Lalit Rohit, GM Karthik Venkataraman, GM Diptayan Ghosh and GM Raja Rithvik R drew their respective games. Round 1 Game 2 starts today from 3 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Divya, Neelash, Harshavardhan, Himal and Aronyak in a must-win situation

The first round did not witness any big upsets. Few draws were some minor upsets which is understandable considering the format of the FIDE World Cup 2025. GM Raunak Sadhwani and GM Lalit Rohit managed to salvage draws from difficult position against GM Daniel Barrish (RSA) and GM Max Warmerdam (NED) respectively.

Pranav - Eddine: 1-0

The reigning World Junior champion, GM Pranav Venkatesh (2641) started his campaign with a crushing win over untitled, Ala Eddine Boulrens (ALG, 2214).

GM Pranav Venkatesh made a winning start against Ala Eddine Boulrens (ALG) | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

FIDE World Cup 2025 Official logo | Photo: Official site

Raunak - Barrish

Position after 26.Kf1

26...f6 would have made things difficult for White 27.e6 Rfb8 and Black could have pushed for a win. Instead, 26...Bxd4 27.Rb1 Bxe5 28.Nf3 Bf6 29.Rxd3 GM Raunak Sadhwani (2641) managed to get back in the game and draw against GM Daniel Barrish (RSA, 2284).

GM Raunak Sadhwani managed to avert an unfortunate result against South Africa's top player GM Daniel Barrish

Malaysian prodigy FM Kavin Mohan (ARM) played a solid draw against GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM)

IM Manon Reja Neer (BAN) - GM Aryan Tari (NOR): 0.5-0.5

Pranesh - Satbek

Position after 30...Kd7?

30...Kd7? started the misadventure of IM Satbek Akhmetdinov's (2372). 31.Nxe7+- Kxe7 32.Bd4 Rha8 33.Qxh6 Rxa3 34.Rae1 Ra2 35.Qxf6+ and GM Pranesh M (2630) eventually brought his opponent's king all the way to the center of the board to win the game.

GM Pranesh M scored a fine victory over IM Satbek Akhmetdinov (KAZ)

IM Satria Duta Cahaya (INA) - GM Haik M Martirosyan (ARM)

IM Shiyam Thavandiran (CAN) - GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP): 0.5-0.5

Goa's very own GM Leon Luke Mendonca drew against GM Shixu B Wang (CHN)

GM Steven Rojas Salas (PER) - GM S L Narayanan: 0.5-0.5

Divya - Stamatis: 0-1

Earlier this year, GM Divya Deshmukh (2505) defeated GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (GRE, 2585) in the final round of Prague Chess Festival 2025 Challengers. This time Divya got herself in trouble out of the opening.

Position after 16...b5

17.Bg5 exd4 18.Qd3 h6 19.Bh4 would have been fine for White. Instead, 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Rb1 Rb8 19.Kh1 h6 20.Rb3 Rb6 21.a4? a6 22.axb5 axb5 created a passed pawn for Black which he eventually used to win the game.

GM Divya Deshmukh - GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Divya Dishmukh is now in a must-win situation

Chile no.1, GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra (2605) almost managed to save his game from a losing position. However, he ran out of time against IM Uurtsaikh Agibileg (MGL, 2448).

Final moments | Video: ChessBase India

Iniyan - Dylan

Position after 44...Nf5?

GM Dylan Isidro Berdayes Ason (CUB, 2453) made the mistake of allowing the trade of the minor pieces 44...Nf5? 45.Bxf5 exf5 46.Rb8+- the rook became an absolute monster. GM Iniyan Pa (2601) converted his advantage into a win comfortably.

The reigning double National champion, GM Iniyan Pa got the better of GM Dylan Isidro Berdayes Ason (CUB)

Harshavardhan - Mustafa

Position after 52...g4

IM Harshavardhan G B (2479) needed to find 53.Rg2 Kf6 54.Rxg4 Rf4 55.Rg1 Rxe4 to get back in the game. Instead, 53.Kd6?? once again gave GM Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR, 2594) the upper hand Kf6-+ and he went on to win the game.

IM Harshavardhan G B suffered a tough loss against GM Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR)

Woodward - Himal

Position after 11.Ne6?

11.Ne6? was the first mistake by GM Andy Woodward (USA, 2605) Qe7 12.Nd5?? Nxd5-+ 13.exd5 now IM Himal Gusain (2479) had to find Kf7 which is a computer move, not easy to find for a human being. The game continued 13...Nc5 14.Nxc5 Bxc5 15.Bf4 Rf8 16.Rae1 Rxf4! 17.Rxe7+ Bxe7 18.Re1 Rf7 19.Qc2 g6? 20.Qxc7+- White comfortably converted his advantage into a win.

IM Himal Gusain could have scored a huge upset in Round 1.1 against GM Andy Woodward (USA)

GM Lalit Rohit salvaged a draw from a difficult position against GM Max Warmerdam (NED)

GM Roberto Garcia Pantoja (COL) forced a draw against GM Karthik Venkataraman

Mateusz - Aronyak

Position after 43.Kxc5

IM Aronyak Ghosh needed to save his f7-pawn 43...f6 or play Ba3+. Instead, 43...Kc8 44.Bxf7 Bc3?? 45.f4!+- and it was over. White won the game in the next few moves.

IM Aronyak Ghosh put up a good fight against the Poland no.5 - GM Mateusz Bartel

GM Xiongjian Peng (CHN) - GM Diptayan Ghosh (pictured): 0.5-0.5

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly trapped GM Ahmad Ahmadzada's (AZE) bishop | Photo: FIDE / Eteri Kublashvili

Argentina no.2, GM Diego Flores (2563) made a one-move blunder against the Kazakhstan no.3, GM Denis Makhnev (2525) on move no.16. It cost him the game.

GM Kazybek Nogerbek (KAZ) - GM Raja Rithvik R (pictured): 0.5-0.5

FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich made the inaugural first move on GM Jeffery Xiong (USA) and CM Yiheng Li's (HKG) board

AICF President, Nitin Narang made the inaugural first move on GM Pranav Venkatesh and Ala Eddine Boulrens' (ALG) board

Vishy Anand with the Viswanathan Anand trophy of FIDE World Cup 2025

L to R: Ajay Gaude, Mahesh Candolkar, Nitin Narang, Vishy Anand, Arkady Dvorkovich and Dharmendra Kumar

Vishy Anand with Viswanathan Anand trophy | Video: ChessBase India

For more photos, please click here and here.

Players' entry | Video: ChessBase India

Round 1.1 results for Indian players

GM Kazybek Nogerbek (KAZ) - GM Raja Rithvik R: 0.5-0.5

IM Harshavardhan G B - GM Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR): 0-1

IM Steven Rojas Salas (PER) - GM S L Narayanan: 0.5-0.5

GM Pranav Venkatesh - Ala Eddine Boulrens (ALG): 1-0

GM Iniyan Pa - GM Dylan Isidro Berdayes Ason (CUB): 1-0

GM Max Warmerdam (NED) - GM Lalit Rohit: 0.5-0.5

GM Xiongjian Peng (CHN) - GM Diptayan Ghosh: 0.5-0.5

GM Roberto Garcia Pantoja (COL) - GM Karthik Venkataraman: 0.5-0.5

GM Raunak Sadhwani - GM Daniel Barrish (RSA): 0.5-0.5

GM Georg Meier (URU) - IM Neelash Saha: 1-0

GM Leon Luke Mendonca - IM Shixu Wang B (CHN): 0.5-0.5

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly - GM Ahmad Ahmadzada (AZE): 1-0

GM Divya Deshmukh - GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (GRE): 0-1

GM Pranesh M - IM Satbek Akhmedinov (KAZ): 1-0

GM Mateusz Bartel (POL) - IM Aronyak Ghosh: 1-0

GM Andy Woodward (USA) - IM Himal Gusain: 1-0

Replay live stream

Watch FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 1.1 Live Commentary by IM Tania Sachdev, Sahil Tickoo, GM Harshit Raja and GM Sahaj Grover | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 1.1 games

Links

Tournament Regulations

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