India, Nov 15 : Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and P. Harikrishna opened the fifth round of the FIDE World Cup 2025 with composed draws, keeping India’s hopes alive in the prestigious knockout tournament.
Playing with the white pieces, Arjun Erigaisi pressed hard against two-time champion Levon Aronian, navigating into a promising double-rook endgame. Despite holding a slight advantage, Arjun was unable to break through the veteran Armenian-American’s resilient defence, and the game ended in a 41-move draw.
Harikrishna, meanwhile, opted for solidity with black against giant-killer Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, ensuring the Peruvian got no winning chances. The game steered quickly into a rook pawn endgame before both players agreed to a draw after 41 moves.
This year’s World Cup began with 24 Indian players among a field of 206 competitors from 82 nations, fighting for the Viswanathan Anand Trophy and a coveted Candidates berth. After four rounds, only Erigaisi and Harikrishna remain in contention for the championship.
Arjun’s round-five opener briefly tilted in his favour when Aronian consumed nearly 30 minutes on his 21st move. However, the experienced GM defended resourcefully and now enjoys the theoretical edge of playing white in the second classical game.
Harikrishna faced no major threats, having anticipated Alcantara’s opening preparation. Their balanced game helped him conserve energy for the crucial second encounter.
In earlier action on Thursday, Arjun defeated GM Peter Leko 2–0 in rapid tiebreaks, while Harikrishna overcame GM Nils Grandelius in the second classical game to reach the pre-quarterfinals.
However, India suffered setbacks as R. Praggnanandhaa bowed out after a loss to GM Daniil Dubov, and Pranav V and Karthik Venkataraman exited after tiebreak defeats.
Indian Results – Round 5, Game 1
GM Arjun Erigaisi drew with GM Levon Aronian — 0.5 : 0.5
GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara drew with GM P. Harikrishna — 0.5 : 0.5