World Chess Weekly: World Cup Rages In Goa, Russian Controversy, Pragg in London, And A Lot More
The World Cup has been motoring this week and the shocks have just kept on coming.
We are now at the semi-final stage and to say it's nail-biting is an understatement.
Three spots in next year's Candidates are available to two four players—none of whom were big favourites before the tournament started.
GMs Nodirbek Yakubboev, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov and Andrey Esipenko all won their quarter-finals. That's two from Uzbekistan, and none from the home nation India.
Every top 10 player who entered has been bombed out, and only two above 2700 remain. They are Yi and Sindarov.
The quarter-final was heart-breaking for Indian fans as GM Arjun Erigaisi, the last remaining home player, was knocked out by Yi. Erigaisi carried a lot of expectation on his shoulders.
GMs Jose Martinez, Alexander Donchenko and Sam Shankland were the others who also bowed out.
We're left with the semis, the final and an all-important third-place play-off match to decide the three Candidates places.
World Rapid and Blitz
On the World Cup's rest day on Thursday, FIDE took the opportunity to announce the line-up for the World Rapid and Blitz happening immediately after Christmas.
GM Magnus Carlsen and world champion GM Gukesh D spring out, but as usual it's a feast of big names. Over 360 players have confirmed their participation in the event due to be held in Doha.
If you've never followed a World Rapid and Blitz tournament, you're in for a treat. More details here.
FIDE's Latest Controversy
Earlier this week we reported on the FIDE Women's World Team Championships kicking off in Linares, Spain.
Needless to say there was more to it than just a chess tournament: geopolitics is at play too.
A controversy has been brewing surrounding the participation of a "Team FIDE" side comprised entirely of Russian players. Russian teams are currently banned from international competition and, by allowing Team FIDE to compete, the world governing body has been accused of backsliding.
Team FIDE is fearsomely strong. It has already dominated the tournament's Pool A, finishing ahead of Kazakhstan and the U.S. Now the event has moved onto the quarter-finals and Team FIDE face Uzbekistan.
A weakened Ukraine team, without many of its Olympiad gold medal winners, finished bottom of Pool B and were eliminated. FIDE can breathe a sigh of relief Ukraine and "Russia" can't meet.
London Calling For Pragg
Another big announcement came on Friday before the 2025 XTX Markets London Chess Classic, which takes place at Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium between November 26 and December 5.
Indian GM Praggnanandhaa was added to the line-up for the Open tournament, as opposed to the Elite Group.
Praggnanandhaa, who first played in this aged 11 in 2016, appears to have entered this time with the sole intention of securing enough FIDE Circuit points to guarantee the last remaining Candidates spot. It's a race. He is top of the Circuit leaderboard already, and only needs to ensure he's not overtaken.
GMs Alireza Firouzja and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who also had hopes of sneaking a Candidates spot, are already down to play the elite event. Both are probably out of the race by now though.
However, Praggnanandhaa in the Open throws up the intriguing prospect of a world-class player taking on amateurs in an event where any slip-up could cost him dearly.
Praggnanandhaa is now the only Indian likely to make it to the Candidates. For once, the golden generation hasn't quite delivered.