It was a huge day for Goa’s chess scene. The top fifty seeds, including World Champion Gukesh D, debuted this afternoon in the Baga Resort Rio playing hall, joining the seventy-eight qualifiers from the opening round.
To honour the occasion, the state’s Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, accompanied by five-time former World Champion and FIDE Deputy President Vishy Anand, opened the round by performing the ceremonial first move on Gukesh’s board.
Unfortunately for the number one seed, luck was not on his side this time. His opponent, GM Kazybek Nogerbek (2543) from Kazakhstan, held the draw with the Black pieces — not a result many can boast against the reigning World Champion.
Before play began, both Anand and the Chief Minister attended a packed press conference. When asked for his top picks to win the event, Anand—as usual—was cautious, but he did point out that GM Levon Aronian “has already been enjoying Goa for the last week, so it’s quite clear that he is taking the event very seriously.”
A fan’s perspective
Before being a player or an announcer, I am, above all, a chess fan. One of the great perks of working as a FIDE press officer is the chance to walk around the playing area and watch, up close, the games of the best players in the world.
Leaving aside Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Alireza Firouzja, who for one reason or another decided to skip the event, practically all the world’s top 100 are here. It’s a true who’s who of elite chess, and I don’t take for granted the privilege of being here to witness it all.
Having covered chess for some time, there are only a handful of players I haven’t yet seen live. One of them is the American star Hans Moke Niemann — and he’s definitely taller than I imagined! It will be fascinating to see how he performs in his first World Cup appearance.
Esipenko’s sparkling attack
As expected at this level, most games ended in draws — I suspect many matches will go to tiebreaks. Still, a few players notched up early wins, mostly with the White pieces.
The first decisive result came about two and a half hours into the session, when GM Andrey Esipenko (2693) defeated 2023 Baku World Cup semi-finalist GM Nijat Abasov (2587) in a dominant attacking display.
Abasov had just played 17…Be7–d6, defending the pawn on e5. Esipenko thought for five minutes and unleashed a bolt from the blue: 18.Ba6!, threatening checkmate on b7. The bishop can’t be captured due to mate on a8, but Esipenko still had to calculate several defensive tries.
Abasov responded with 18…c6, blocking the diagonal, but after 19.b5!, the attack became irresistible. The key variation: 19…bxa6 20.bxc6! Qc7 21.Qf5+ and White wins. In the game, 19…c5 20.b6! sealed Abasov’s fate, and he resigned a few moves later.
Wei Yi strikes in style
Among the later games, GM Wei Yi (2753)’s encounter with GM Kacper Piorun (2557) caught my attention. The Chinese prodigy—now a university graduate—has fully returned to professional chess, bringing back his trademark aggressive style.
After 17…Bxe3, Piorun may have expected 18.Qxe3, aiming for simplification after 18…Qxe6 19.f4 Qb6! Instead, Wei Yi stunned with 18.Bf7+!! Kxf7 (18…Qxf7? 19.Qxe5+) 19.fxe3, pinning the queen and winning decisive material.
In his postgame chat, Wei Yi said:
“My opponent played the opening in a romantic style, like a puzzle. I haven’t been to India many times, but I really enjoy Goa. I think I prefer blitz and rapid formats, though—I spend too much time in classical games!”
Aronian’s beach vibes and brilliant finish
A World Cup wouldn’t be complete without GM Levon Aronian (2728). A two-time champion—Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 (vs. Ponomariov) and Tbilisi 2017 (vs. Ding Liren)—Aronian is a master of knockout formats.
In Goa, he started strongly, defeating Bengali IM Aronyal Ghosh (2520), in an attacking masterpiece that featured a sparkling piece sacrifice.
Black had an extra piece but a shattered kingside and an out-of-play queen. Aronian’s finish was vintage brilliance: 25.Rg4+! Nxg4 26.Qxg4+ Kh8 27.Qd4+! f6 28.Qd2!, the key move, after which Black resigned. One pretty line runs: 28…Kh7 29.Re7+ Kg6 30.Qd3+ f5 31.Qxg3+ Kh5 32.Bd1 mate!
Other highlights
Other 2700+ favourites also began well, including Arjun Erigaisi (2773), Vincent Keymer (2755), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2742), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2737), Richard Rapport (2724), Javokhir Sindarov (2721), Vladimir Fedoseev (2720), and the newest member of the 2700+ club, Awonder Liang (2710).
Liang’s opponent, Max Warmerdam, reached an equal position in a complicated Ruy Lopez battle but made the wrong choice at the critical moment.
Black had to decide which pawn to take—f2 or b2?
After the correct 37…Rxb2! 38.f6 Qxf6, White has to force a draw by perpetual check: 39.Rxf8+ Kxf8 40.Qc8+ Ke7 41.Qc7+ Ke6 42.Qc8+ Kd6 43.Qc6+.
Instead, Warmerdam captured the “wrong” pawn with 37…Rxf2??, which failed to 38.f6! g6 (alas, 38…Qxf6 does not work anymore, as after 39.Rxf8+ Kxf8 40.Qc8+ Ke7 41.Qc5+, White wins the f2-rook) 39.Qg5!, threatening Qh6. Black had to give up the exchange with 39…Rxf3 and was checkmated on move 60.
Among relatively surprising results include:
- Ivan Zemlyanskii (2596) defeated Ray Robson (2664).
- Georg Meier (2596) took down Volodar Murzin (2664), the reigning World Rapid Champion, with Black.
But remember — it’s a two-game match, and anything can happen tomorrow.
Finally, 12-year-old Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro continues to impress, holding elite Indian GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2716) to a draw with Black from the position of strength.
Looking ahead
Round one of the Goa World Cup has set the stage for thrilling tiebreaks and surprises. With the stars in attendance, the beaches buzzing, and the boards on fire, the chess world will be watching Goa very closely in the coming days.
Game 2 of Round 2 begins on November 5 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
Photos: Michal Walusza and Eteri Kublashvili
