The second game of round three was every bit as thrilling as expected. The formidable German Olympiad squad – Keymer, Bluebaum, Donchenko, and the Svane brothers – created a sensation this afternoon at the Rio Resort in Goa. Four of them advanced to the fourth round, with two scoring massive upsets by eliminating the tournament’s top seed, GM Gukesh D, and fourth seed, GM Anish Giri, from the World Cup.
The five German grandmasters have formed a close-knit unit during the event — sharing meals, walking to the venue together, and supporting one another throughout the rounds. And so far, their camaraderie seems to be paying off handsomely.
With today’s action concluded, 11 of the 32 matches will be decided in tiebreaks tomorrow narrowing the field to the final 32 players still in contention for the prestigious World Cup trophy.
Let’s take a closer look at the action as the afternoon unfolded.
The round began with the ceremonial first move, performed by Mr. Ajit Roy of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Serving as Secretary to the Governor of Mizoram, Mr. Roy played 1.e4 on Board 1 in the game between World Champion GM Gukesh D and GM Frederik Svane of Germany.
As it was Saturday, the playing hall was packed with spectators. To manage the large number of visitors, the organizers implemented a slot system, allowing fans to purchase tickets for specific time periods. Naturally, the first slot sells out almost instantly – it’s the only opportunity for visitors to enter the hall with their mobile phones and take a few selfies with the players.
Although I usually head back to the media and broadcast center as soon as the games begin, this afternoon I decided to stay in the playing hall for the first thirty minutes to observe the players’ behaviour when it was not their move.
As expected, most of the sixty-four participants – elite professionals that they are – remained seated, deeply focused and analysing variations even while their opponents were thinking. Focus, after all, is everything in chess. Yet a few preferred to stretch their legs in the early stages, each displaying their own distinct walking style.
From today’s observations, Anish Giri stood out as the player who spent the most time pacing along the cordoned-off line. His manner is unmistakable: hands clasped behind his back, posture upright, stride calm and deliberate. He walks like a man fully in control – of his position on the board and of his composure off it – graceful, self-assured, and just a touch enigmatic. A master of opening theory, Giri is always impeccably prepared, often leaving his opponents to shoulder the burden of early thought.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s walking style mirrors the very essence of his chess — focused, brisk, and quietly self-assured. He paces lightly between the boards with a subtle bounce in his stride, hands sometimes tucked into his pockets or folded neatly behind his back. He walks like a man calculating variations mid-step: absorbed, calm, yet charged with a quiet inner energy.
Former World Cup winner Levon Aronian also enjoys taking strolls during the opening phase. Often smiling or chatting briefly with colleagues, he can frequently be seen wandering toward the lower boards, keeping an eye on the games of his former Armenian teammates — Sargissian, Hovhannisyan, and Sargsyan – who continue to battle it out in the event.
Other elite players, such as Mamedyarov, Erigaisi, and Keymer, also favour mid-opening walks, usually with their hands casually in their pockets. Meanwhile, Dubov, Praggnanandhaa, and Rapport prefer the nearby refreshment area, where two large screens display miniature versions of every game, allowing them to monitor their own boards – and everyone else’s – without breaking their rhythm.
Exactly an hour and a half into play, the first player had already secured qualification to the fourth round — the stage where only 32 competitors remain in contention for the coveted Candidates spots.
Having won his first game yesterday, GM Matthias Bluebaum (2687), the recent runner-up at the Samarkand Grand Swiss, opted for the Exchange Variation of the King’s Indian Defence, calmly trading off every piece in sight and forcing an effortless draw to seal his spot in the next round.
His opponent, 15-year-old GM Ivan Zemlyanskii (2596), can take great pride in his performance. He leaves Goa with a well-earned €11,000 prize and, more importantly, a wealth of experience that will serve him well in future competitions.
As we’ve seen repeatedly in previous rounds, the 2700+ rated players are losing momentum. The latest casualty was Slovenian GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2720), who bowed out of the event after losing his second game to Poland’s ever-dangerous GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek. A six-time Polish champion, Wojtaszek may be rated 2654 at the moment, but with a career peak of 2750, he remains one of the most respected and solid players of his generation.
Needing a win with Black against such a stable opponent, Fedoseev resorted to a sharp line of the English Defence that modern theory has all but refuted. He chose the risky continuation 4…f5?, and after 5.exf5 Bxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.fxg6 Bg7 8.gxh7+ Kf8, Black temporarily wins a rook on h1 — but at a terrible price. The resulting attack for White is well-known to be decisive, with modern engines giving a clear +2 evaluation.
Fedoseev was gambling that Wojtaszek might not recall the precise theoretical nuances, and for a brief moment, it almost worked. But in the end, his luck ran out, and the Polish grandmaster’s attack broke through convincingly. We caught up with Wojtaszek in the interview area afterward, where he shared his thoughts on the match and the critical moments of the opening.
The full game can be consulted on the Live Games section of the tournament website.
Dutch GM Jorden Van Foreest (2697) will live to fight another day in Goa. Needing a win after yesterday’s loss to GM Alexey Sarana (2661), the ever-creative Dutchman once again demonstrated why he’s considered one of the most dangerous attacking players in modern chess — especially when confidence and fortune are on his side.
The position looked balanced: material was equal, and although White had a powerful knight on f5, his e4-pawn was a glaring weakness. With little to lose, Van Foreest decided to gamble — and his intuition paid off. He unleashed 33.Rxh7! Qxh7 34.Rxg5, suddenly threatening the pawn on g7 and stirring complications out of thin air.
Sarana, usually a model of precision, faltered under pressure with 34…Kh8?? (both 34…Rxf5 and 34…Re7 would have held). Van Foreest pounced immediately with 35.Rh5!!, trapping the queen and forcing resignation after 35…g6 36.Qxg6.
The match is now tied, and the two will return tomorrow for what promises to be one of the most entertaining tiebreaks of the round — definitely one to keep an eye on.
It seems that GM Praggnanandhaa (2771) is growing more confident with each passing round, emerging as one of the in-form 2700+ players in Goa. While many of his elite colleagues have been “dropping like flies,” the Indian star produced a superb performance this afternoon against GM Robert Hovhannisyan (2633), sacrificing an exchange and converting brilliantly with two powerful passed pawns.
In his post-game interview, Praggnanandhaa reflected on his current form and shared his thoughts on how the tournament has been unfolding so far.
Italy’s Lorenzo Lodici (2572) continues to exceed all expectations. Still undefeated after three rounds, the Italian grandmaster has been one of the breakout stars of the event. After sensationally eliminating Hans Moke Niemann (2729) in Round 2, he added another major scalp this afternoon, defeating England’s Michael Adams (2635). An incredible run!
Adams had been under pressure for quite some time, but still had drawing chances with 25.Kf1, bringing his king into play. Instead, he opted for the aggressive 25.Rd6+?, after which 25…Kb5! sealed his fate – the advancing passed pawns proved unstoppable against the lone bishop. Adams resigned a few moves later, as Lodici’s Cinderella story in Goa rolled on.
Another shock result of the round was the elimination of GM Anish Giri (2759) from the World Cup. His opponent, German GM Alexander Donchenko (2641), had held a solid draw with Black in the first game and came to the board determined to press. He did so relentlessly all afternoon, until Giri’s normally impeccable defence finally gave way.
Although material was equal, White’s pieces completely surrounded the Black king. With less than five minutes remaining to reach move 40, Donchenko calculated the critical tactical sequence with impressive composure: 37.f6! Nxf6 38.Bxf6 Qe6, pinning the bishop — but 39.Ne4! coolly defends it. Now 39…Kh8 fails to 40.Bxg7, winning the queen, while 39…Be7 is met with 40.Qxg7#. Facing unavoidable disaster, Giri gave a few desperate checks with his queen before conceding defeat.
Finally, the elimination of World Champion Gukesh D. has blown the field wide open, giving new life to the remaining contenders. Playing with White, Gukesh tried everything to put pressure on German GM Frederik Svane (2640) and secure qualification for the next round — but it wasn’t to be.
Gukesh had been under pressure for quite some time, but the decisive mistake — as Svane noted in his post-game interview — came with 39.Re1?, allowing 39…g3+ followed by the exchange of rooks after 40.Ke2 Re3+. The resulting knight endgame proved hopeless for White, with weaknesses on g2 and b3 sealing his fate. Svane converted confidently, securing the biggest victory of his career so far, before joining Charlize in the interview area for a candid discussion of his performance and emotions after the match.
The following players also qualified directly to the fourth round of the World Cup 2025: GMs Arjun Erigaisi, Levon Aronian, Le Quang Liem, Pentala Harikrishna, Shant Sargsyan, Pranav V., and Aleksey Grebnev — all advancing thanks to their victories yesterday followed by solid draws today.
Joining them are GMs Vincent Keymer, Javokhir Sindarov, Awonder Liang, GM Parham Maghsoodloo, Nils Grandelius (knocking out 2742 Mamedyarov!) and Gabriel Sargissian, who booked their spots with wins this afternoon.
Finally, GMs Peter Leko and Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara also progressed in style, each winning both games of their respective matches. In the case of the Mexican grandmaster, his victory came at the expense of yet another 2750-rated player — GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov — marking one of the standout performances of the round.
Five picks to follow closely from the eleven tiebreaks tomorrow:
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2716) vs Shankland, Sam (2654)
Van Foreest, Jorden (2697) vs Sarana, Alexey (2661)
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2737) vs Artemiev, Vladislav (2646)
Wei, Yi (2754) vs Gledura, Benjamin (2643)
Yu, Yangyi (2720) vs Narayanan, S (2617)
With several top seeds unexpectedly knocked out and a new wave of rising stars advancing, the World Cup in Goa continues to deliver high drama and fresh storylines. Tomorrow’s tiebreaks promise more excitement, as the final 32 contenders battle for a coveted place in the next stage — and a step closer to the Candidates.
The Round 3 tiebreaks will be played on November 9, starting at 3 PM local time.
The action can be followed live on the FIDE YouTube Channel, featuring expert commentary by GMs Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Jan Gustafsson.
To watch the games in person, tickets can be purchased [HERE]
Official website: worldcup2025.fide.com/
Written by IM Michael Rahal (Goa, India)
Photos: Michal Walusza and Eteri Kublashvili