Team Herald
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ARPORA: GM Arjun Erigaisi rejected a draw offer from GM Levon Aronian before tightening the noose on his experienced opponent to win with black pieces to advance into the quarter-finals of the FIDE World Cup 2025 at a resort, on Saturday.
P Harikrishna will now have to play a tie-break to advance.
Having drawn the opening game of Round 5 with white, Arjun pinned Aronian’s king in the h1 corner and forced the two-time World Cup winner to resign after the 38th move as he launched a triple attack with a queen, bishop and knight.
“It was a tense middle game. I was not able to understand if I was better. But after he played knight e3 and offered a draw, I was confident that I could win because he was happy with a draw,” said Arjun, who is the one of the two top-10 seeded player left in the competition.
Arjun will now play the winner of the match between GM Wei Yi of China and GM Samuel Sevian of USA. Also advancing to the next round was GM Wei Yi from China, defeating GM Samuel Sevian of USA in 73 moves, Uzbekistan’s GM Nodirbek Yakubboev defeating GM Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia with white pieces in 35 moves and GM Sindarov Javokhir of Uzbekistan who defeated GM Svane Frederik of Germany in 47 moves while three matches including that of Harikrishna head to the tie-break.
Playing white, Harikrishna tried his best to make inroads but GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara was solid in his defence and with no possibility of any other results both the players opted for a draw after 35 moves.
