Arjun Erigaisi Knocked Out Of FIDE World Cup

Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi was eliminated from the FIDE World Cup after losing 1.5–2.5 to China’s Wei Yi in the rapid tiebreaks in Panaji. Both classical games ended in draws, but the first rapid game went against Arjun after a risky French Defence left him down a rook for a minor piece. Despite his material disadvantage, Arjun fought hard and managed to save the game when Wei Yi mishandled the endgame.

The second rapid game also proved difficult for Arjun. Wei Yi gained a strong middlegame setup with a well-placed light-squared bishop that limited Arjun’s chances. A pawn loss in the endgame shifted the technical edge further toward the Chinese Grandmaster, who converted the advantage with precise play, eventually forcing checkmate and securing his place in the semifinals.Elsewhere in the tournament, Andrey Esipenko and Javokhir Sindarov advanced to the semifinals alongside Wei Yi and Nodirbek Yakubboev.

With Arjun’s elimination, India will have only one likely contender for the Candidates - R Praggnanandhaa—whose consistent performances this year have put him in strong qualifying position.