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The round-of-32 began on Tuesday at the FIDE World Cup in Goa, as the remaining contenders returned to action following the tournament's first rest day. With three qualification spots for the 2026 Candidates Tournament at stake, every game now carries major significance. The only exception among the field is Matthias Bluebaum, who has already secured his Candidates berth via the Grand Swiss, while Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is widely expected to take the FIDE Circuit qualifying spot.
Two clear underdogs remain in contention: Lorenzo Lodici of Italy (2572) and Karthik Venkataraman of India (2576). Both began the round-of-32 with the black pieces. Lodici held Sam Sevian (United States, 2701) to a 30-move draw, while Karthik also defended solidly to split the point after 36 moves against Le Quang Liem (Vietnam, 2729).
At the other end of the spectrum, elite grandmasters are under pressure to keep their Candidates hopes alive. For Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer and Wei Yi, a qualification would mark their first appearance in the prestigious eight-player double round-robin that determines the next World Championship challenger. All three have consistently demonstrated world-class form in recent years, yet the knockout format of the World Cup means that lower-rated opponents remain constant threats.
Lorenzo Lodici | Photo: Michal Walusza
Among those pushing their claims for a deep run are Levon Aronian and Jose Martinez, both of whom scored wins on Tuesday. Aronian, the only player in history to have won the World Cup twice, outplayed Radoslaw Wojtaszek in a queenless middlegame after gaining a pawn early on and converting it confidently.
Martinez, meanwhile, continued his excellent performance by defeating Alexey Sarana with the black pieces. The Peruvian-born grandmaster representing Mexico displayed deep preparation in the opening and handled the ensuing complications skilfully, exploiting the dynamic potential of his pair of knights against Sarana's bishops.
Martinez's success in Goa has been particularly noteworthy. Notably, he is currently the highest-rated player from Latin America and one of only three from the region rated above 2600 - alongside Peru's semi-retired Julio Granda and Uruguay's Georg Meier, originally from Germany. With five wins and two draws so far, Martinez has already gained over 19 rating points, underscoring the consistency of his play throughout the event.
Elsewhere, the two top seeds still in contention drew their first games in contrasting fashion. Arjun Erigaisi agreed to a quick 20-move draw with black against the experienced Peter Leko, following a triple repetition.
Peter Leko, at 46, continues to show his class | Photo: Michal Walusza
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, on the other hand, was forced to navigate serious difficulties against the creative Daniil Dubov. The Indian grandmaster was in real trouble before Dubov, short on time, missed a winning continuation.
Pragg's 39.Qd3, played with 42 seconds left on the clock, was a losing blunder. Black can now win with 39...Nf5, when after 40.Rxf4 there is 40...Rxg2+ 41.Kxg2 Qg6+ (diagram) - or after 40.Re4 Rxe4 41.fxe4 White can also play 41...Qg6 - with a winning attack.
Instead, Dubov played 39...Qf5, and a draw was agreed after 40.Qxf5 Rxf5 41.Rb2. Black could have kept trying his chances with his passer on the e-file, but Dubov decided to call it a day in order to, perhaps, get more time to prepare for the rematch.
Despite being the 30th seed, Dubov has shown on numerous occasions that he can challenge the world's elite, and his current form in Goa suggests that he could yet make a deep run in the competition.
Daniil Dubov | Photo: Michal Walusza
Radoslaw Wojtaszek playing black against Levon Aronian | Photo: Michal Walusza
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
It was a tough day at the office for Alexey Sarana | Photo: Michal Walusza
Replay games from all rounds at Live.ChessBase.com
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