Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi’s FIDE World Cup campaign came to a halt on Wednesday after a 1.5-2.5 loss to China’s Wei Yi in the first set of rapid tiebreaks in Panaji. Both classical games had ended in draws, pushing the quarterfinal into faster time controls where Wei Yi eventually proved steadier. Arjun began the tiebreaks with Black and opted for the French Defence, but the choice backfired early. He slipped into a difficult position, surrendering a rook for a minor piece. Despite the computer evaluation heavily favouring Wei Yi, the Indian fought hard and managed to salvage a draw in the endgame. The second rapid game, however, slipped out of Arjun’s grip. With the white pieces, he never quite gained control of the middlegame. Wei Yi established a strong setup, highlighted by a light-squared bishop on the sixth rank that eventually caused a lot of problems. Arjun dropped a pawn in the final phase, and Wei Yi converted with accurate pawn play before delivering checkmate. Elsewhere in the quarterfinals, Andrey Esipenko advanced after defeating American Sam Shankland 4-2, capitalising when Shankland lost both games in the second set of tiebreaks. Javokhir Sindarov also progressed, becoming the second Uzbek semifinalist after edging Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara 3.5-2.5 in a battle of nerves. In the final pairing, Nodirbek Yakubboev secured a 1.5-0.5 win over Germany’s Alexander Donchenko to reach the last four.
Poll
Did Arjun Erigaisi make the right choice in opting for the French Defence?
The semifinals will now see Esipenko face Wei Yi, while Yakubboev takes on Sindarov, setting up matchups featuring contrasting styles and rising contenders. Arjun’s exit also means India’s hopes of a berth at the Candidates Tournament rest solely on R Praggnanandhaa, who is on track to qualify based on his performances through the season.
Quarterfinal results
Nodirbek Yakubboev defeated Alexander Donchenko 1.5-0.5; Wei Yi defeated Arjun Erigaisi 2.5-1.5; Andrey Esipenko defeated Sam Shankland 4-2; Javokhir Sindarov defeated Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara 3.5-2.5.
