Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi secured a place in the quarterfinals of the chess event at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. The prestigious 16-player tournament carries a prize purse of USD 1.5 million.
Armageddon win for playoffs 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YCVcK7L4yr
— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) July 29, 2025
Group Stage Winners Confirmed:
Erigaisi topped Group B, joining fellow group winners Levon Aronian (Group A), Alireza Firouzja (Group C) and Magnus Carlsen (Group D) in the last-eight stage. The remaining four quarterfinal spots will be decided through the Losers Bracket.
The Losers Bracket line-up is as follows:
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Group A: Ian Nepomniachtchi, Vladislav Artemiev, Andrey Esipenko
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Group B: Anish Giri, Nihal Sarin, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
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Group C: Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, Hikaru Nakamura
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Group D: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Erigaisi’s Dominant Campaign:
Erigaisi began his campaign with a commanding 2-0 win over compatriot Nihal Sarin. In the other opening match of Group B, French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated Dutch star Anish Giri 1.5-0.5.
The group-deciding clash between Erigaisi and Vachier-Lagrave was a tense affair. The Indian won the opening game with black pieces, but Vachier-Lagrave hit back to level the scores and force an armageddon tiebreak. Erigaisi held his nerve with the white pieces in the decider to clinch the match and book his place in the quarterfinals.
Also Read: One Last Dance For India: Can They Level The Series At The Oval?
Losers Bracket Scenarios:
In Group B of the Losers Bracket, Nihal Sarin will face Anish Giri in the semifinals. The winner of that match will take on Vachier-Lagrave for the remaining quarterfinal spot from the group.
Tournament Format:
All games in the Esports World Cup chess event are played with a time control of 10 minutes per player with no increment. Each fixture consists of a two-game match, with an armageddon tiebreak if necessary.
