The semifinals of the FIDE World Cup began on Friday in Goa, in what is now arguably the most decisive stage of the event. With three qualification spots for the 2026 Candidates Tournament at stake, winning a semifinal match guarantees a place in the tournament that will determine the next challenger for the World Championship - the single most important goal for elite players in the modern chess calendar.
Both first games of the semifinal matches ended drawn, in 30 and 33 moves respectively, but the day nonetheless featured deep calculation, creative decision-making and high psychological tension.
Only two boards left in the playing hall | Photo: Michal Walusza
In the encounter between Wei Yi and Andrey Esipenko, the contenders navigated a position that looked outwardly balanced but demanded extreme precision. The final sequence of the game illustrated just how difficult even apparently quiet positions can be at the top level, as both players calculated long tactical lines to force a draw.
Although no mating attacks appeared on the board, several tactical motifs - including subtle intermediate moves and hidden resources - made the conclusion of the game particularly noteworthy, as shown below in the annotations by GM Karsten Müller.
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Wei Yi is known for his calculation abilities | Photo: Michal Walusza
The all-Uzbek semifinal, featuring Nodirbek Yakubboev and Javokhir Sindarov, produced a critical (and instructive) moment. The game entered a queenless middlegame in which Yakubboev, playing white, faced a crucial decision on move 20.
Club players would, perhaps, almost automatically choose 20.Rxc6, followed by 20...Kd7 21.Rc4, aiming for slightly more active rooks while keeping an eye on the potentially vulnerable e5-pawn. Commentators on the chess.com broadcast, including Judit Polgar, highlighted this as surely the intuitive continuation.
Instead, after spending 12 minutes in reflection, Yakubboev opted for 20.fxe3. Engine analysis confirmed this as the strongest move, despite the doubled pawn it creates, since it opens the f-file and gives White's rooks additional squares and dynamic potential.
Yakubboev's choice demonstrated elite-GM's trust in concrete calculation, even though by that point he had already invested significantly more time than his younger compatriot - the clock showed almost a 40-minute deficit.
From there, White generated enough tactical ideas to defend the e5-pawn and seize a small initiative. Yet Sindarov had also foreseen the ensuing complications and responded accurately, neutralising White's pressure at every critical juncture. With both rooks active and the position balanced, Sindarov played 30...Rg7 and offered a draw.
Under the regulations, offers are allowed only after move 30, and given the circumstances - Yakubboev had just 1 minute remaining to Sindarov's 26 - the player with the white pieces accepted. In a different time situation, White might reasonably have played on, but practical considerations weighed heavily.
The draw concluded a game that, while short on the scoresheet, reflected the depth and psychological nuance of elite-level play. Even in encounters that appear routine to spectators, a great deal of calculation, risk assessment and long-term planning unfolds beneath the surface - much of it never seen on the board itself.
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Nodirbek Yakubboev and Javokhir Sindarov, compatriots and friends | Photo: Michal Walusza
Replay games from all rounds at Live.ChessBase.com
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