Shockwaves in Goa: Dubov, Shankland, and the day of “giant killers”
The fourth round of the FIDE World Cup in Goa ended with one of the most intense and dramatic tiebreak sessions of the event so far. Eleven matches returned to the playing hall this afternoon, with players battling it out across multiple time controls, from rapid to blitz and even Armageddon, to determine who would advance to the coveted round of sixteen. From the very start, it was clear that this would be a day of upsets and surprises. Several top seeds were eliminated, including multiple +2700-rated players, as underdogs seized their chances in rapid and blitz play. Experience, stamina, and nerves of steel became as crucial as opening preparation, as every mistake carried immediate consequences. By the end of the session, the field had been cut in half once again, revealing a captivating mix of established stars and fearless young talents. With just sixteen players remaining, the World Cup is entering its decisive phase, and the fight for the title, and for the coveted Candidates spots, is more open than ever. The round was opened by IA Dharmendra Kumar, President of the South Asian Chess Council and Chair of the 2025 FIDE World Cup Appeals Committee. He played 1.e4 for Peter Leko on board two. Quite surprisingly, no fewer than eight of the eleven tiebreak matches were decided in the very first section of the afternoon, consisting of two 15-minute games with a 10-second increment. The first player to qualify for the round of sixteen and the biggest surprise of the day was GM Aleksey Grebnev (2611), who eliminated one of the pre-tournament favourites, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2737). Known for his deep opening preparation and sharp tactical vision, Grebnev recently won the 2025 Dubai Open, a strong international event featuring several elite grandmasters, proving he is no stranger to facing world-class opposition. Although Vachier-Lagrave is a renowned specialist in blitz and rapid chess, Grebnev seized his chances brilliantly, winning the first game with White and then steering the second into a well-known theoretical draw to clinch the match. The key moment came in the first game: Despite being under pressure in a difficult endgame, the Frenchman still had drawing chances, but in time trouble he blundered with 47…Nd5+? (the correct move was 47…b5, with approximate equality). After 48.Kd4! b5 49.Bh6!, Black was suddenly lost due to the unstoppable threat of Bf8, which wins material. Soon after, another of the 2700+ favourites fell. GM Richard Rapport (2724) will have to wait another two years for another shot at the title, after losing both rapid tiebreak games to GM Sam Shankland (2654). A cornerstone of American chess for over a decade, known for his disciplined preparation and exceptional endgame technique, Shankland opted for the solid Caro–Kann Defence to neutralize Rapport’s creative initiative in the first game. The strategy paid off perfectly when the Hungarian number one faltered in the late middlegame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbp_Yg4vY0Y “I wasn’t very optimistic going into the tiebreak. In classical, it hasn’t gone too badly, but in rapid, he’s clobbered me before,” Shankland admitted in his post-game interview. This time, however, he turned the tables convincingly. In the second game, Rapport’s decision to employ the Pirc Modern Defence backfired spectacularly, as he soon found himself in a cramped, passive position, and Shankland efficiently converted the advantage, sealing the match with a 25-move miniature. GM Nils Grandelius (2645) will also be leaving Goa tomorrow, eliminated by GM Pentala Harikrishna (2697). The long-time Swedish number one, celebrated for his deep opening preparation and creative ideas, came up short in the first game, letting his opponent off the hook at a critical moment. With the psychological edge on his side, the player from Andhra Pradesh, renowned for his strategic depth and superb endgame technique, displayed his full class in the second encounter. Harikrishna crafted a strategic masterpiece, patiently outmanoeuvring his opponent to secure victory and advance to Round Five. By winning the first game and comfortably drawing the second, accepting a repetition in a completely winning position, GM Frederik Svane (2638) secured his spot in the round of sixteen, joining his compatriot Alexander Donchenko and confirming the impressive depth of the younger German generation. His opponent, GM Shant Sargsyan (2667) of Armenia, was unable to recover after losing the first game. The key moment came on move thirty White’s control of the d-file and pressure on the e5-pawn promised a lasting edge. However, after 30…Ne6! 31.Nxe5 Qg5! 32.Qxg5 Nxg5, Black would still have had reasonable drawing chances. Instead, short on time, Sargsyan spent two of his last three minutes to play 30…f6?, fatally weakening his kingside. Svane immediately seized the moment with 31.Nh4!, launching a decisive attack. Notably, Black could no longer contest the d-file with 31…Rad8, as 32.Nf5! wins material after 32…Qc7 33.Rxd8 Rxd8 34.Rxd8 Rxd8 35.Qa7, picking up at least a pawn. Despite determined resistance, the Armenian grandmaster could not save the game. GM Daniil Dubov (2684) produced one of the major upsets of the day, eliminating the 2023 Baku finalist and Indian hero GM Praggnanandhaa R (2771). Continuing the same pragmatic approach that has served him well in earlier tiebreaks, Dubov offered an early 12-move draw with the White pieces, effectively shifting the pressure onto his opponent to create winning chances in the second game. In his post-game interview with FIDE’s WIM Charlize van Zyl, Dubov explained his rationale: “Against players so good that I can’t really get an advantage in the opening, my strategy is to make a draw with White and get a game with Black.” And once again, his plan worked perfectly. In the diagrammed position, with both players down to their final minute, Praggnanandhaa erred with 35.Bxd5?, allowing 35…exf2+ 36.Qxf2 Bb6!, after which the Indian grandmaster was unable to defend against the threats along the long diagonal. “I don’t think he showed his best in this tournament, but even so, it was very close,” Dubov reflected after the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0r3Tyz2TWk With each round that passes, GM Arjun Erigaisi (2773) looks increasingly likely to secure