Arjun Erigaisi Eliminated: Wei Yi Wins Tiebreak as Uzbekistan Dominates World Cup Semifinals

Goa, India - November 19, 2025 - India's World Cup dream is over.Arjun Erigaisi lost to China's Wei Yi 2.5-1.5 in rapid tiebreaks, ending India's last hope in the tournament. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan celebrates a historic achievement: two players in the semifinals for the first time ever. Javokhir Sindarov defeated Mexico's miracle man Jose Martinez 3.5-2.5, joining compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev in the final four.Andrey Esipenko completed the semifinals lineup by dominating Sam Shankland 4-2.

November 19 Tiebreak Results

Wei Yi beat Arjun Erigaisi 2.5-1.5. India's highest-rated player couldn't deliver in the rapid format, losing both games decisively. Javokhir Sindarov defeated Jose Martinez 3.5-2.5, ending the Mexican's extraordinary run from seed 112 to the quarterfinals. Andrey Esipenko crushed Sam Shankland 4-2, winning convincingly in rapid chess. Nodirbek Yakubboev already advanced after beating Alexander Donchenko 1.5-0.5 in classical games.

Arjun's Painful Exit

Yesterday, Arjun had a winning position. The engines screamed for a bishop sacrifice. He played it safe instead, banking on his rapid chess superiority. Today, that superiority didn't show up.

Wei Yi came prepared. He won the first rapid game with White, putting immediate pressure on Arjun. The Indian needed to win with Black in game two just to stay alive. He couldn't. Wei Yi defended solidly, secured a draw, and eliminated India's last representative. For Arjun, missing yesterday's classical win proved costly. The tiebreak gamble backfired.

Uzbekistan Makes History

Two Uzbek players in the World Cup semifinals. That's never happened before. Nodirbek Yakubboev reached the semis first by defeating Donchenko without needing tiebreaks. He crossed 2700 rating for the first time in the process.

Javokhir Sindarov joined him today after outlasting Jose Martinez in a tense tiebreak battle. Now Uzbekistan is guaranteed at least one finalist. And both players are positioned for Candidates 2026 qualification - the top three finishers qualify automatically. This is Uzbekistan's golden generation delivering on the world stage.

Martinez's Miracle Ends

Jose Martinez entered the World Cup as seed 112, rated just 2563. Nobody expected him to survive past Round 2.

He reached the quarterfinals.

Beat world number 12 Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Eliminated Alexey Sarana. Shocked Pentala Harikrishna in tiebreaks.

Today, Sindarov was too strong. The Uzbek's 2721 rating and experience proved decisive in the rapid tiebreaks.

Martinez's run ends one round short of the semifinals, but he's already written one of the World Cup's greatest underdog stories.

Esipenko Destroys Shankland

Andrey Esipenko didn't mess around. He dominated Sam Shankland 4-2, winning both initial rapid games to close out the match quickly.

The Russian showed why he's rated 2710, controlling the games from start to finish. Shankland, who had been solid throughout the tournament, couldn't find answers to Esipenko's aggressive play.

The Semifinals (November 20-22)

SF1: Sindarov vs Wei Yi

Two players who won tense tiebreaks today face off. Sindarov is higher rated (2725 vs 2757... wait, Wei Yi is actually higher). Wei Yi enters with momentum after eliminating Arjun.

SF2: Yakubboev vs Esipenko

The first player to reach the semis faces the most dominant tiebreak winner. Yakubboev has been efficient all tournament. Esipenko just destroyed Shankland.

Format: Two classical games (November 20-21), tiebreaks if needed (November 22).

What's at stake: Winner reaches the final and secures Candidates 2026 qualification. Losers play for third place, with the winner also qualifying for Candidates.

India's Disappointment

This was supposed to be India's tournament. World Champion Gukesh playing at home. Arjun Erigaisi, the world number three, as the favorite. Gukesh lost to Frederik Svane in Round 3. Praggnanandhaa fell to Daniil Dubov in Round 4. Harikrishna lost to Martinez in Round 5. Arjun was India's last hope. He beat Levon Aronian brilliantly in the quarterfinals, showing his class. Then he missed the winning move against Wei Yi yesterday. Today, he couldn't recover in tiebreaks.

India exits empty-handed from a World Cup held on home soil.

What Happens Next

The semifinals begin Thursday, November 20. Two classical games decide each match. If tied, tiebreaks follow on November 22. The final is scheduled for November 24-26, with the winner claiming the Viswanathan Anand Cup and automatic Candidates 2026 qualification. Third-place match also matters - that player also qualifies for Candidates.

Uzbekistan has two chances. Wei Yi and Esipenko each have one. The dream is alive for all four.

The Bottom Line

Arjun Erigaisi's World Cup ends in heartbreak after losing rapid tiebreaks to Wei Yi. India's tournament nightmare continues - no representatives in the semifinals of a home World Cup.

Uzbekistan celebrates historic success with two players in the final four. Sindarov and Yakubboev guarantee their nation at least one finalist and multiple Candidates 2026 qualification spots.

Martinez's miracle run ends in the quarterfinals, but his seed 112-to-quarterfinals journey remains one of chess's greatest underdog stories.

Four players remain. Two semifinals. One will be World Cup champion. Three will play in Candidates 2026.

The dream continues Thursday.

Follow ChessTV.com for semifinal coverage starting November 20.