One dramatic day of rapid and blitz chess has decided everything. After four classical draws on Tuesday kept three semifinal spots wide open, the quarterfinal tiebreaks delivered tension, heartbreak, and a wave of history in the making. Long before the clocks started, the hall was already full—spectators sensing that this would be the biggest turning point so far.
And when the battles ended, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, and Andrey Esipenko all survived their nerve-shredding matches to join Nodirbek Yakkuboev, who had qualified a day earlier. It was also a crushing day for Indian fans as Arjun Erigaisi, the last home hope, was eliminated.
Below is how a decisive day of knockout chess unfolded.
Quarterfinal Tiebreak Results
- Arjun Erigaisi 1.5–2.5 Wei Yi
- José Martínez 2.5–3.5 Javokhir Sindarov
- Sam Shankland 2–4 Andrey Esipenko
- (Yakkuboev qualified the previous day)
Wei Yi vs. Arjun Erigaisi: India’s Last Hope Falls
A day after letting Wei escape in classical play, Arjun returned to the board under enormous pressure. But the Chinese number one arrived early, calm, composed, and clearly determined not to give his opponent any second chances.
With White in the Steinitz French, Wei launched an early kingside push and steered the game into exactly the kind of sharp complications that suit his style. Arjun cracked first with the time-consuming and ultimately disastrous 10…f6. Wei won an exchange soon after, but allowed the advantage to slip in a messy time scramble. Arjun defended resourcefully and saved the draw.
Game two, however, was a slow-motion collapse. A stable Petroff middlegame turned toxic after Arjun overpressed in an equal position. One inaccurate rook move shifted the evaluation entirely, and Wei converted confidently, winning material, securing a passed pawn, and finishing with checkmate on the board.
Wei, now the highest-rated player left in the event, downplayed any sense of favoritism:
“You can’t assume anything against Arjun. Today I was just lucky that my chances worked.”
For India, though, the dream ends here.
Javokhir Sindarov vs. José Martínez: A Comeback for the Ages
The match began with a surprise—Martínez uncorked 1.b3, dragging Sindarov into unfamiliar waters. The Uzbek youngster never liked his position and fell into a tactical fork that cost him the exchange. Martínez converted smoothly to take the lead.
But Sindarov, visibly upset after the loss, reset himself brilliantly. Needing a win on demand, he produced one of the cleanest rapid games of the event, punishing a premature queenside thrust and leveling the score.
The first 10+10 game was tense but balanced, with kingside and queenside pawn storms crashing simultaneously. The second, however, saw Martínez drift into a passive setup and eventually misplay a difficult rook-and-pawn ending with under 30 seconds on the clock. Sindarov took full advantage, pushing his b-pawn to promotion and sealing the match.
The victory guarantees Uzbekistan at least one spot in the Candidates—and possibly two.
“After the second game, I knew he’s human too. And now Uzbekistan finally has a Candidates player again,” Sindarov said, still shaking from the adrenaline.
Andrey Esipenko vs. Sam Shankland: A Rollercoaster in Four Acts
Esipenko struck first, squeezing Shankland in a queen-and-minor-piece endgame and finishing with an elegant tactical flourish. But Shankland, for the second time in Goa, won on demand with Black—this time in a sharp Panov Caro-Kann—punishing a single misstep to tie the match.
Esipenko stayed unshaken.
“I just want to enjoy myself,” he joked, referencing his relaxed mindset.
That approach paid off in the 10+10 segment. Shankland overextended while trying to maintain activity with his exposed king, and Esipenko outplayed him twice in succession—first in a heavy-piece endgame, then in a Philidor where the American never found counterplay.
Shankland later wrote that he was “devastated but grateful.”
Esipenko now advances to face Wei in a highly anticipated semifinal showdown.
The Final Four
From 206 players, only four remain:
- Wei Yi (China)
- Nodirbek Yakkuboev (Uzbekistan)
- Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan)
- Andrey Esipenko (FIDE)
| Player | Country | Year of Birth | Current Elo (2025) | Peak Elo / Highest Rank | Notable Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wei Yi | China | 1999 | ~2752 | Peak ~2763 (Oct 2024) | Youngest player ever to reach 2700; famous for sharp, attacking style. |
| Nodirbek Yakubboev | Uzbekistan | 2002 | ~2689 | Peak ~2689 (2025) | Three-time Uzbekistan champion; key member of the 2022 Olympiad gold-winning team. |
| Javokhir Sindarov | Uzbekistan | 2005 | ~2721 | Peak ~2722 (2025) | Became GM at 12; one of Uzbekistan’s fastest-rising young stars. |
| Andrey Esipenko | Russia / FIDE | 2002 | ~2681 | Peak ~2723 (Mar 2022) | Known since youth; has beaten several top super-GM players in elite events. |
History is already guaranteed: all three Candidates spots from the World Cup will go to players who have never played in the Candidates before.
Uzbekistan will send at least one player—maybe two.
China has its top talent back in the World Cup medal rounds.
Esipenko continues his most relaxed—and most successful—run ever.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
On November 21, the semifinals begin.
Four remain.
Three will reach the Candidates.
One will lift the World Cup.
And the biggest battles are still ahead.
Watch the pairings and live games of FIDE World Cup 2025 here
I’m a passionate board game enthusiast and a skilled player in chess, xiangqi and Go. Words for Attacking Chess since 2023. Ping me at Lichess for a game or chat.
