FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 2 Game 2: Harikrishna’s Brilliant Queen Sacrifice Shocks Goa

Chessbrainz Nov 06,2025 - 09:11

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The second game of Round 2 at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa delivered everything fans could ask for: drama, brilliance, and heartbreak. Indian GM Pentala Harikrishna played what many are calling the Game of the Tournament, sacrificing his queen in a stunning early-game idea against GM Arseniy Nesterov.

It was preparation he’d kept hidden for years, and this was the perfect moment to unleash it.
“I remembered the line from a long time ago,” Harikrishna said after the win. It gives full compensation, but it’s more satisfying that the engine even prefers it for Black.

By move eight, the queen was gone. By move 25, so was Nesterov’s hope. Harikrishna’s win drew loud praise across the hall the kind of game every player dreams of producing in their career.

Gukesh, Arjun, Keymer, Wei Advance Smoothly

World Champion Gukesh D bounced back from his Round 1 draw to win cleanly as Black against Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek. Playing a precise Exchange Caro-Kann, Gukesh created pressure along the queenside, converted a pawn, and never let go.
"Today I felt great over the board and played a clean game," Gukesh said. “It’s not often you get such a dominant position.”

Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer, and Wei Yi each scored 2–0 sweeps to reach Round 3 without any tiebreaks. Wei’s tactical precision and Arjun’s calm conversion again showed why both are among the hottest young players in the world.

Wei Yi’s attacking style drew special praise after his sharp 18.Bf7+ idea in Round 1, and now he’s through with total control. Keymer, meanwhile, continued his strong run of form and seems fully confident with each round.

Giri Joins the Winners; Mamedyarov and Abdusattorov Head to Tiebreaks

GM Anish Giri booked his spot in Round 3 with a patient, positional win against Bojan Maksimovic. In a slow French Winawer, Giri waited until the perfect moment to break open the position and strike.
“When you only have two games, it’s harder than people think,” he said afterward. Today I finally got my chance.

Not everyone survived the round so easily. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov came close to victory against Denis Makhnyov but missed the powerful 21.Bxh6 sacrifice. The game ended in a draw, meaning the Uzbek star must now face tiebreaks.

GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov also slipped into danger, losing his second game to GM Gergely Kantor. Luckily, he had won the first game and will continue to the tiebreak stage.

Major Eliminations: Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So, and Aravindh Out

The biggest shocks of the day came from the early exits of some of the world’s strongest players.

Two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi was knocked out by India’s Diptayan Ghosh. Playing an opening he hadn’t used before, Ghosh found an inspired tactic with 16...Bxb2! that completely turned the game.
Qualifying for the World Cup was already special,” Ghosh said. “Beating Nepo makes it unforgettable.

Nepomniachtchi’s post-match Telegram message summed up his frustration, writing that he was “not sad to be leaving” and hinting at dissatisfaction with the conditions.

Wesley So’s exit was even more dramatic, resigning a drawn position against Titas Stremavicius after missing a hidden stalemate defense. A painful moment for one of the world’s most consistent classical players.

India’s Aravindh Chithambaram also bowed out after losing a long endgame against Karthik Venkataraman, who converted a same-color bishop endgame after nearly 90 moves. It was a marathon game and a bitter loss for Aravindh, who had been in excellent form earlier this year.

Harikrishna, Gukesh, and Arjun Lead the Indian Charge

While some names fell, others rose higher. Harikrishna’s queen sacrifice win will be remembered for years; Gukesh and Arjun both look sharp and confident.
S.L. Narayanan also reached tiebreaks after another solid performance, showing India’s depth in this year’s World Cup.

Other Highlights

• GM Sam Shankland defeated GM Vasyl Ivanchuk 2–0, a clean sweep against a legend. • GM Nils Grandelius and GM Aryan Tari both won on demand after losing game one, keeping their runs alive.
• 27 matches in total are now heading for Thursday’s tiebreaks.