Three matches go to tiebreaks after four draws in game two of the Quarterfinals in the 2025 FIDE World Cup. One match did end, with GM Nodirbek Yakubboev advancing to the Semifinals after holding a draw against GM Alexander Donchenko, making good on yesterday’s win.
GM Arjun Erigaisi missed a single key chance against GM Wei Yi, while we saw cleaner equality in GM Jose Martinez vs. GM Javokhir Sindarov and GM Andrey Esipenko vs. GM Sam Shankland.
Quarterfinal tiebreaks are on Wednesday, November 19, starting at 4:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 CET / 3 p.m. IST.
Quarterfinal Results
Four draws meant Donchenko was eliminated, and the other matches will go to tiebreaks.
After the three remaining matches conclude on Wednesday, we will have four players left. The top three qualify for the 2025 FIDE Candidates Tournament.
Bracket
Donchenko ½-½ Yakubboev
After a loss in game one, the German grandmaster needed to win on demand to reach tiebreaks. Yakubboev, who was never once worse, held in a long rook endgame. He even had some chances for an advantage earlier, which he understandably traded for equality.
“I just wanted to play solid chess, wanted to play some positional chess, not like yesterday,” he told Chess.com, and he managed to do just that. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes our Game of the Day below.
Yakubboev, the first player to reach the Semifinals, has now eliminated the following players on his warwpath. Curiously, he only had to play tiebreaks in round three and has decided all of his other matches in the classical portion.
With yesterday’s win, he crossed the 2700-rating mark for the first time, but he was pretty calm about it in the interview with Chess.com. He said, “It’s always nice, but I always say that those are just numbers. If you play good chess, your rating will be higher and higher.”
He will face the winner of Martinez vs. his national teammate Sindarov (whom he roots for). The winner of that match will qualify for the Candidates.
Arjun ½-½ Wei
In the remaining three games, there was just one significant missed chance.
In the middlegame, Wei’s 20…Qc6?! gave White a chance to target the misplaced c5-rook. When it was followed by the definite mistake 21…Nd7?, Arjun had a concrete chance to end the match then and there with the only move 24.Bxd5!.
Arjun didn’t play it, and GM Arturs Neiksans guessed that, down the line, 27.Rd1 was what both players missed. After 24.Qd2, instead, it wasn’t long before the players made a draw.
Martinez ½-½ Sindarov
Martinez vs. Sindarov was the first game to end. After a quick draw in the Four Knights Opening, the players will rest their hopes on the faster time controls. Actually, not a single new move was played and the final position has been reached nearly 40 times before.
Esipenko ½-½ Shankland
Although the players left common theory in the Italian Opening extremely early, it didn’t affect their quality of play. White gained space on the kingside, but the compact black position had no real weaknesses. It was a 98 accuracy game by both sides, with no significant chances.
Wednesday will surely be split between hurrah and heartbreak. Three players will advance and three will be left behind. Don’t miss it!
You can watch the event on Chess.com/TV. You can also enjoy the show on Chess24, on Twitch, or YouTube. Games from the event can be viewed on our events page.
The 2025 FIDE World Cup, which takes place from November 1 to 26 in Goa, India, determines three spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. It is a 206-player single-elimination knockout tournament with eight rounds. Each match consists of two classical games followed by rapid and blitz tiebreaks if needed. The prize fund is $2 million.
Previous reports:
- Round 6 Game 1: Yakubboev Draws 1st Blood, Crosses 2700 Live Rating
- Round 5 Tiebreaks: Shankland, Esipenko, Martinez, Donchenko Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
- Round 5 Game 2: Arjun Beats Aronian To Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
- Round 5 Game 1: 19-Year-Old Sindarov Grabs Only Win
- Round 4 Tiebreaks: Arjun Strides On As Pragg, Keymer, MVL, Rapport Lead World Cup Exodus
- Round 4 Game 2: Donchenko, Martinez Continue Giant-Killing As 11 Matches Go To Tiebreaks
- Round 4 Game 1: Aronian, Martinez Strike As Praggnanandhaa Escapes Vs. Dubov
- Round 3 Tiebreaks: Vachier-Lagrave Wins Marathon Match In Armageddon
- Round 3 Game 2: World Champion Gukesh Eliminated By Frederik Svane; Giri, Abdusattorov Also Out
- Round 3 Game 1: Martinez Upsets Abdusattorov With Black Pieces
- Round 2 Tiebreaks: Lodici Knocks Out Niemann, Rasmus Svane Wins In Armageddon
- Round 2 Game 2: Harikrishna Sacs Queen; Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So, Aravindh Eliminated
- Round 2 Game 1: Arjun, Keymer, Wei, Mamedyarov, Vachier-Lagrave Among Early Leaders
- Round 1 Tiebreaks: 12-Year-Old Oro Among 20 Winners In Tiebreaks
- Round 1 Game 2: IM Shixu Wang Pulls Upset, 20 Matches Go To Tiebreaks
- Round 1 Game 1: Saleh Plays Attack Of The Day, Favorites Prevail In Game 1
- 2025 FIDE World Cup Pairings, Venue Revealed
- Divya Among 6 Players Awarded World Cup Wildcard Spots; Firouzja Not In
