Panaji, Nov 4 (NationPress) World Junior Champion V. Pranav and India's highest-rated GM Arjun Erigaisi seized opportunities from their opponents' mistakes to secure victories with black pieces, while Vidit Gujrathi managed to escape a tight spot against the youngest competitor in the tournament during the opening game of Round 2 at the FIDE World Cup 2025 here on Tuesday.

In a clash between rising stars, Pranav triumphed over Norway’s GM Aryan Tari in 41 moves, while Arjun outplayed Martin Petrov from Bulgaria in 37 moves, positioning themselves as strong contenders as they prepare to play with white in the next game.

The FIDE World Cup 2025 is organized as a single-elimination knockout event featuring 206 players from 82 nations, all competing for the prestigious Viswanathan Anand Cup, named in honor of the legendary Indian chess player.

Among the 17 Indian players in Round 2, eight are ranked in the top 50 and began their journey after receiving a bye in the first round.

Arjun was the first to secure a full point despite a determined effort from Petrov. He maintained pressure throughout the middle game, capitalizing on a slight mistake from the Bulgarian to clinch victory.

“Today’s game was quite intriguing. The middle game was intense, and after his move of b4, he began to lose his grip, which I took full advantage of,” Arjun remarked post-match.

On another board, Pranav and Aryan Tari were engaged in a tightly contested match until Tari opened the board on the 40th move by pushing his pawn to g4, allowing Pranav to go for a decisive attack.

While Arjun and Pranav celebrated their wins, Vidit successfully navigated a time crunch to secure a draw against Argentinian prodigy IM Faustino Oro. The 31-year-old Indian, playing with white, found himself with just 38 minutes left on the clock after 11 moves, feeling the pressure as his 12-year-old opponent played confidently.

However, Oro opted for caution, moving his rook away from the attacking line, which permitted Vidit to salvage a draw by repetition after 28 moves, positioning him as a favorite for the next round as he plays with white in the subsequent game.

Other Indian players performed admirably, with GM Diptayan Ghosh managing a draw against the seasoned GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, while GM Gukesh D, GM R Praggnanandhaa, GM P Harikrishna, and GM Narayanan SL also split points with their respective rivals.

Indian results (Round 2, Game 1)

GM Gukesh D drew with GM Nogerbek Kazybek (KAZ) 0.5-0.5; GM Martin Petrov (BUL) lost to GM Arjun Erigaisi 0-1; GM R Praggnanandhaa drew with GM Temur Kuybokarov (AUS) 0.5:0.5; GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) defeated GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly 1-0; GM Diptayan Ghosh drew with GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (FID) 0.5:0.5; GM Levon Aronian (USA) defeated IM Aronyak Ghosh 1-0; GM Vidit Gujrathi drew with IM Faustino Oro (ARG) 0.5:0.5; GM Karthik Venkataraman drew with GM Aravindh Chithambaram 0.5:0.5; GM Arseniy Nesterov (FID) drew with GM P Harikrishna 0.5:0.5; GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) drew with GM Iniyan P 0.5:0.5; GM Narayanan SL drew with GM Nikita Vitiugov (ENG) 0.5:0.5; GM Dmitrij Kollars (GER) drew with GM Pranesh M 0.5:0.5; GM Aryan Tari (NOR) lost to GM Pranav V 0-1; GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM) drew with GM Raunak Sadhwani 0.5:0.5.