Grandmaster (GM) Arjun Erigaisi, GM Karthik Venkataraman, and GM P. Harikrishna split points with black pieces while R. Praggnanandhaa survived a scare with white against GM Daniil Dubov in the first game of Round 4 in the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Panaji, Goa, yesterday.

 

 

Second seed Arjun Erigaisi, playing black, earned a quick 20-move draw against Hungarian GM Peter Leko, while Harikrishna held Swedish GM Nils Grandelius and Karthik drew with GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam respectively. The day’s only decisive result came from two-time World Cup winner Levon Aronian of the USA, who defeated Poland’s Radoslaw Wojtaszek in 37 moves.

 

 

With all four Indians entering Wednesday’s second game on equal footing, wins in their next encounters will be crucial to securing a place in the pre-quarterfinals. In late evening GM Pranav Venkatesh drew his match against Uzbekistan’s GM Nodirbek Yakubboev.