Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi, Karthik Venkataraman, and P. Harikrishna settled for draws with the black pieces, while R. Praggnanandhaa survived a major scare against GM Daniil Dubov in the first game of Round 4 at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Panaji, Goa, on Tuesday.
Second seed Arjun Erigaisi, playing black, secured a quick 20-move draw against seasoned Hungarian GM Peter Leko. Harikrishna held Swedish GM Nils Grandelius to a 32-move draw, while Karthik shared the point with Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem after 36 moves.
Elsewhere, two-time World Cup champion GM Levon Aronian defeated GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek in 37 moves with the white pieces, and GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara outplayed GM Alexey Sarana in 39 moves with black.
The 46-year-old Leko, returning to individual competition after six years, chose to avoid risks once Arjun’s rook gained control of the ‘a’ file, opting for a draw by repetition. He will play with black in the next game, while Arjun is expected to push hard for a win to secure a pre-quarterfinal berth.
“It was a very interesting game. Arjun surprised me in the opening. I knew the lines but hadn’t analysed them deeply. With little time on the clock, I decided to go for a repetition,” Leko said, adding that he enjoys playing with black and will try to win the return leg.
On one of the top boards, Praggnanandhaa’s 14th-move d-pawn push put him under pressure and into severe time trouble. However, Dubov missed a tactical opportunity that could have turned the game in his favour. Both players eventually reached the time control and agreed to a draw after 41 moves.
India results (Round 4, Game 1):
- GM Peter Leko (HUN) drew with GM Arjun Erigaisi — 0.5–0.5
- GM R. Praggnanandhaa drew with GM Daniil Dubov (FID) — 0.5–0.5
- GM Nils Grandelius (SWE) drew with GM P. Harikrishna — 0.5–0.5
- GM Le Quang Liem (VIE) drew with GM Karthik Venkataraman — 0.5–0.5
