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Aronian, Martinez Strike As Praggnanandhaa Escapes Vs. Dubov
Levon Aronian is a World Cup (and T-shirt) specialist. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/FIDE.

Aronian, Martinez Strike As Praggnanandhaa Escapes Vs. Dubov

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Colin_McGourty
| 37 | Chess Event Coverage

Two-time World Cup winner GM Levon Aronian smoothly beat GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek as round four of the 2025 FIDE World Cup began in Goa. The day's only other winner was GM Jose Martinez, who followed a 2-0 victory over GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov with a brilliant black win over GM Alexey Sarana. Of the 14 draws the most dramatic saw GM Daniil Dubov miss a huge chance against third-seed GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, while GM Gabriel Sargissian defended tenaciously to hold GM Awonder Liang to a 110-move draw.

The second classical game of round four is on Wednesday, November 12, starting at 4:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 CET / 3 p.m. IST.

Round 4 Results

The stakes are growing in the World Cup, and only two games were decisive as round four began.

Games, Results, and Bracket.

Although only two players from the second half of the field have survived into round four, 2572-rated GM Lorenzo Lodici and 2576-rated GM Karthik Venkataraman, we've also seen half of the top-20 seeds eliminated. Curiously, that's exactly the same number as at the same stage in the previous event in 2023.

The top-20 players still alive by round four in 2025.
The top-20 in 2023.

With only 32 players left in total, the stakes are growing, both in terms of the prize money and the looming possibility of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. It's perhaps understandable, therefore, that we saw the most solid day of play yet, even if the first draw wasn't exactly your run-of-the-mill quick draw! Arjun went for a pawn sacrifice and then offered a draw by repetition, which was ultimately accepted.  

The closing stages were dramatic as, just when Leko was wrestling with whether to take a 20-move draw with the white pieces, his student GM Vincent Keymer came to look at the board. Our commentary team of GM Arturs Neiksans and IM Jovanka Houska felt the pressure on Leko was immense, since you tell your students to fight whenever there's a chance.

The longer Leko delayed, however, the less likely it was he'd play on, since he was dropping almost 50 minutes behind on the clock. When he finally stopped the clock and told the arbiter he was repeating moves, Arjun raced back to the board, as was captured on a series of board cams.

Keymer himself was involved in a similar draw by repetition, as GM Andrey Esipenko could have played on in a complex position, but most of the draws were solid, with few real chances.

World no. 4 Keymer made a draw against Esipenko. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

There were two clear exceptions, however, with the most glaring one coming in the game of 2023 runner-up Praggnanandhaa. The Indian star has already lived dangerously in this year's event, and in round four he found himself on the brink after getting outplayed in the opening by the famously inventive Dubov.

Praggnanandhaa and Dubov played a stunningly complex game. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

GM Magnus Carlsen's former second took over and had great chances to pick up a win with the black pieces, especially on move 39. Praggnanandhaa's 39.Qd3? allowed a game-clinching tactic.

When 39...Nf5! was missed, however, Dubov didn't delay long in accepting a draw in a position where he could still press—his 73rd classical game unbeaten in a row!

Sargissian gave a meme-worthy reaction to escaping with a 110-move draw. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

If the abrupt draw at the end of that game was disappointing, the same couldn't be said about Liang-Sargissian, which was played on until move 110! Twenty-two-year-old Liang outplayed his vastly experienced opponent in a slow-burning opening, built up a winning attack, but then let things slip away. One crucial moment came when 37.Qh6?! allowed an exchange sac.

Sargissian took his chance to complicate his opponent's task and eventually held on in a game that recalled some of the 42-year-old's previous heroics for the Armenian team.

Sam Sevian matched giant-killing Lorenzo Lodici, and not just on the chessboard! Photo: Rakesh Kulkarni/Chess.com.

That brings us to the wins, with the smoothest scored by Armenian-born Aronian, who has now won the first game in all three matches he's played. The only player to win the World Cup twice went for a very offbeat opening which sparked discussion on modern opening trends. 

It soon got wilder with 3...d5 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Qh5.

Aronian himself explained the a3-move is equal, so playable, and, "It’s just it’s kind of desperation—you want to try all stupid ideas because regular ideas lead to a draw!"

You want to try all stupid ideas because regular ideas lead to a draw!

—Levon Aronian

Wojtaszek was tormented, and not only by Aronian's shirt. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

Aronian won a pawn, Wojtaszek's compensation evaporated, and the rest was agony for the Polish grandmaster. Aronian told Chess.com's IM Rakesh Kulkarni, "The endgame I felt doesn’t have too much joy in it for Black," which was something of an understatement.

The one player to win with the black pieces was Martinez, with the Peru-born Mexican number-one scoring a third win in a row after sweeping to a 2-0 win over world number-12 Abdusattorov. The win over Sarana came with the black pieces, which was huge considering Sarana is one of the world's most feared players with White.

Martinez summed up to Chess.com afterward, "An amazing game, everything worked well, the preparation, I guess I played the best moves when I tried to finish the game, and I’m happy!" Rakesh asked him about proving himself in classical chess and not just in online blitz, with Martinez responding:

At the end of the day, chess is chess. You can win by time, but I don’t win a lot of Titled Tuesdays just flagging people. I know how to play chess! 

I know how to play chess!

—Jose Martinez

Jose Martinez talked to Chess.com's Rakesh Kulkarni.

GM Rafael Leitao analyzes our Game of the Day below. 

Martinez pointed out that he hadn't worked as hard on classical chess as he could have for the last decade, and added, "I can be at least 50 times better!" For now, though, he needs one draw to reach the Last 16 of the 2025 FIDE World Cup.

Rapport looked to be taking over against Shankland, but in the end it's one of 14 matches still level going into the second game. Photo: Rakesh Kulkarni/Chess.com.

Sarana and Wojtaszek are the two players who find themselves in a must-win position on Wednesday, while all the other matches are balanced on a knife-edge. A win for either player will see them advance, but draws will mean tiebreaks on Thursday.

How to watch?

You can watch the event on Chess.com/TV. You can also enjoy the show on Chess24, on Twitch, or YouTube. Games from the event can be viewed on our events page.

The live broadcast was hosted by IM Jovanka Houska and GM Arturs Neiksans.

The 2025 FIDE World Cup, which takes place from November 1 to 26 in Goa, India, determines three spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. It is a 206-player single-elimination knockout tournament with eight rounds. Each match consists of two classical games followed by rapid and blitz tiebreaks if needed. The prize fund is $2 million.

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Colin McGourty

Colin McGourty led news at Chess24 from its launch until it merged with Chess.com a decade later. An amateur player, he got into chess writing when he set up the website Chess in Translation after previously studying Slavic languages and literature in St. Andrews, Odesa, Oxford, and Krakow.

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