Aronian Out, Arjun Erigaisi Into Quarterfinals - Harikrishna Fights

India's Arjun Erigaisi delivered a brilliant 38...Nh3!! to defeat Levon Aronian and reach the Quarterfinals. Aronian's gracious acceptance of defeat won hearts as four crucial tiebreaks tomorrow will complete the quarterfinal lineup.

Breaking News: Four Advance, Four Tiebreaks Tomorrow

Round 5, Game 2 (November 15) delivered decisive results as half the quarterfinal field was determined.

ADVANCED TO QUARTERFINALS (Won 1.5-0.5):

1. 🇮🇳 Arjun Erigaisi beat Levon Aronian (1.5-0.5)
2. 🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov beat Frederik Svane (1.5-0.5)
3. 🇺🇿 Nodirbek Yakubboev beat Gabriel Sargissian (1.5-0.5)
4. 🇨🇳 Wei Yi beat Sam Sevian (1.5-0.5)

TIED 1-1 (Tiebreaks Sunday, November 16):

1. 🇮🇳 Pentala Harikrishna 1-1 Jose Martinez 🇲🇽
2. 🇻🇳 Liem Le 1-1 Alexander Donchenko 🇩🇪
3. Daniil Dubov 1-1 Sam Shankland 🇺🇸
4. Aleksey Grebnev 1-1 Andrey Esipenko

What's at stake: Four quarterfinal spots and Candidates 2026 dreams

ARJUN ERIGAISI: The Brilliant 38...Nh3!! That Sealed Victory

The Game of the Day

Match: Arjun Erigaisi vs Levon Aronian

Result: Arjun wins 1.5-0.5

Status: QUARTERFINALS

The decisive moment came on move 38.

Aronian, playing White, made a critical error with 38.Re1? Arjun's response was immediate and devastating: 38...Nh3!!

The brilliant knight move - praised by commentators and chess experts worldwide - created unstoppable threats against Aronian's exposed king. The two-time World Cup finalist had no defense.

What makes 38...Nh3!! brilliant:

1. Exploits White's weakened kingside
2. Creates multiple threats simultaneously
3. Forces immediate resignation or hopeless position
4. Demonstrates Arjun's tactical sharpness under pressure

Aronian's Class: Grace in Defeat

The Moment That Won Hearts

After Arjun played 38...Nh3!!, Levon Aronian immediately recognized the position was lost.

What happened next showed why Aronian is beloved in chess:

The Armenian grandmaster smiled, accepted his defeat with complete grace, and left the board with the maturity and dignity of a true champion.

No complaints. No excuses. Just respect for a brilliant move.

Social media reaction:

1. Chess fans praised Aronian's sportsmanship
2. "This is why we love Levon" - common sentiment
3. Example of how to handle defeat with class

The contrast:

1. Arjun's tactical brilliance on the board
2. Aronian's human brilliance off the board

This is what makes chess beautiful - fierce competition followed by mutual respect.

At 42 years old, having competed at the absolute elite level for two decades, Aronian demonstrated that true greatness isn't just about winning - it's about how you conduct yourself when you lose.

The chess world noticed. While Arjun's victory makes headlines, Aronian's reaction reminded everyone why he's one of the sport's most respected figures.

Arjun's Path to Candidates 2026

Current status: QUARTERFINALS (Top 8)

Next match: Wei Yi (China, 2726)

Candidates qualification: Must finish Top 3 (reach Final)

Remaining path:

1. Win Quarterfinals vs Wei Yi → Semifinals
2. Win Semifinals → Final (GUARANTEED Candidates 2026 spot)

Just TWO wins separate Arjun from Candidates qualification.

Arjun's World Cup 2025 Journey

Round 1: Advanced

Round 2: Advanced

Round 3: Advanced

Round 4: Beat Peter Leko (tiebreaks)

Round 5: Beat Levon Aronian (1.5-0.5)

Current form: Playing world-class chess with both deep calculation and tactical brilliance

WEI YI vs ARJUN: The Quarterfinal Showdown

The Matchup

Quarterfinal confirmed:

Wei Yi (China) vs Arjun Erigaisi (India)

Wei Yi:

1. Rating: 2752
2. Seed: #9
3. Beat Sam Sevian 1.5-0.5 in Round 5
4. Highest-rated Chinese player remaining
5. Solid positional player

Arjun Erigaisi:

1. Rating: 2769 (world #4)
2. Seed: #3
3. Beat Levon Aronian 1.5-0.5 with brilliant tactics
4. Highest remaining seed
5. Dynamic, tactical style

On paper: Arjun favored (52 rating point advantage)

Reality: Both playing brilliant chess, extremely competitive match expected

What's at stake:

1. Semifinals spot
2. One step closer to Candidates 2026
3. India vs China rivalry
4. Pride of being tournament favorite

This is the marquee quarterfinal - the two highest-rated players left battling for supremacy.

UZBEKISTAN'S DOUBLE SUCCESS

Two Uzbek GMs in Quarterfinals

Javokhir Sindarov (1.5-0.5 over Frederik Svane)

Nodirbek Yakubboev (1.5-0.5 over Gabriel Sargissian)

Uzbekistan's achievement:

1. 2 players in Quarterfinals
2. Both won decisively (1.5-0.5)
3. Sindarov beat the player who eliminated World Champion Gukesh
4. Double shot at Candidates 2026

Sindarov: The Young Star

Age: 19 years old

Rating: 2721

Opponent beaten: Frederik Svane (who eliminated Gukesh)

History: Knocked out Firouzja (2021), MVL (2023)

2025: First time reaching Quarterfinals

What makes him dangerous: Young, fearless, playing with complete confidence

Yakubboev: The Experienced Fighter

Rating: 2689

Opponent beaten: Gabriel Sargissian (1.5-0.5)

Style: Solid, technical, difficult to beat

Uzbekistan's dream: Two players, two paths to Candidates 2026

FOUR TIEBREAKS SUNDAY: Everything on the Line

Tiebreak 1: Harikrishna vs Martinez - MUST-WIN FOR INDIA

Pentala Harikrishna (India, 2690, seed #30)

Jose Martinez (Mexico, 2644, seed #112)

Match status: 1-1 (tied)

The narrative:

1. Experience vs Cinderella: Harikrishna (38, former world #10) vs Martinez (incredible underdog run from seed #112)
2. Martinez's miracle run: Beat world #12 Abdusattorov, beat Sarana, survived Harikrishna
3. India's double hope: If Hari wins, TWO Indians in Quarterfinals

What's at stake:

1. For India: Second QF representative, double Candidates 2026 chance
2. For Martinez: Biggest upset story of the tournament continues
3. For Harikrishna: Redemption after narrow tiebreak survival vs Grandelius

The pressure:

1. Harikrishna MUST win to keep India's double dream alive
2. Martinez has nothing to lose, everything to gain
3. Playing in India (crowd support for Hari)

Prediction: Harikrishna heavily favored (vastly more experience), but Martinez has defied all odds

If Harikrishna wins: India has Arjun + Hari in QF = two shots at Candidates

If Martinez wins: Tournament's greatest underdog story continues

Tiebreak 2: Liem Le vs Donchenko - Cinderella vs Experience

Liem Le (Vietnam, 2729, seed #13)

Alexander Donchenko (Germany, 2641, seed #61)

Match status: 1-1 (tied)

The story:

1. Donchenko's fairy tale: Tournament's biggest surprise (seed #61)
2. Giant-killing: Eliminated Anish Giri (#2 seed) AND Matthias Bluebaum (both Grand Swiss qualifiers)
3. Liem Le: Vietnam's top player, hasn't needed tiebreaks all tournament, 3-0 with Black pieces

The clash:

1. Le: Higher-rated, experienced, solid
2. Donchenko: Lower-rated but on fire, unstoppable momentum

Prediction: Le favored on rating, but Donchenko's confidence and form are at historic levels

The intrigue: Can Donchenko's magic continue or will experience prevail?

Tiebreak 3: Dubov vs Ahankland - Chaos vs Control

Daniil Dubov (2674, seed #37)

Sam Shankland (USA, 2649, seed #26)

Match status: 1-1 (tied)

The stylistic clash:

1. Dubov: Beat Praggnanandhaa in R4, creative attacking player, thrives in chaos
2. Shankland: Beat Richard Rapport in R4, solid technical player, loves control
3. Philosophy: Russian romantic vs American pragmatist

In tiebreaks:

1. Dubov advantage: More creative in rapid/blitz, comfortable in complications
2. Shankland advantage: Better time management, technical precision

Prediction: 55-45 Dubov in tiebreaks (style suits fast chess)

The wildcard: Dubov can create fireworks, but one mistake ends everything

Tiebreak 4: Grebnev vs Esipenko - Battle of Underdogs

Aleksey Grebnev (2617, seed #84)

Andrey Esipenko (1681, seed #24)

Match status: 1-1 (tied)

The matchup:

1. Grebnev: Beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in R4 (massive upset)
2. Esipenko: Beat Vincent Keymer in R4 (ended Keymer's Candidates dream)

Rating gap: Points favoring Esipenko

Prediction: Esipenko favored but Grebnev has proven he can beat higher-rated opposition

The Quarterfinal Picture

CONFIRMED QUARTERFINALS:

QF1: Wei Yi vs Arjun Erigaisi - Battle of the best

QF2: Sindarov vs (Harikrishna or Martinez)

QF3: Yakubboev vs (Le or Donchenko)

QF4: (Dubov or Shankland) vs (Grebnev or Esipenko)

Most Likely Quarterfinals (if favorites win):

QF1: Wei Yi vs Arjun Erigaisi

QF2: Sindarov vs Harikrishna

QF3: Yakubboev vs Liem Le

QF4: Dubov vs Esipenko

But this tournament has proven: Anything can happen

India's Candidates 2026 Situation

Current Status

Arjun Erigaisi - QUARTERFINALS

1. Faces Wei Yi in QF
2. Win QF + Win SF = Candidates 2026 GUARANTEED (top 3 finish)
3. Playing brilliant chess, legitimate tournament favorite
4. Just demonstrated tactical brilliance with 38...Nh3!!

⏳ Pentala Harikrishna - MUST-WIN TIEBREAKS TOMORROW

1. Faces Jose Martinez (1-1)
2. Must win tiebreak → then face Sindarov in QF
3. Long path but mathematically alive
4. Critical for India's double hopes

Praggnanandhaa - ELIMINATED R4 (lost to Dubov)

Gukesh - ELIMINATED R3 (lost to Svane)

Best Case Scenario for India

If Harikrishna wins tomorrow:

1. Arjun vs Wei Yi (QF)
2. Harikrishna vs Sindarov (QF)
3. TWO Indians in Quarterfinals
4. TWO shots at Candidates 2026

If both reach Semifinals:

1. At least ONE Indian guaranteed in top 3
2. At least ONE Indian guaranteed Candidates 2026 qualification
3. Possible India vs India in Final

The Math for Arjun

Current position: Quarterfinals

Wins needed for Candidates: 2 (reach Final = guaranteed top 3)

Path:

1. Beat Wei Yi → Semifinals
2. Beat SF opponent → Final
3. CANDIDATES 2026 QUALIFIED

He's halfway there. Two matches. Two wins. Candidates qualification.

Tournament Favorites: The Carnage

Still Alive:

Arjun Erigaisi (seed #3) - IN QUARTERFINALS - highest remaining seed, tournament favorite

Wei Yi (seed #9) - IN QUARTERFINALS

ELIMINATED (the graveyard of favorites):

1. #1 Gukesh Dommaraju (World Champion) - Lost R3 to Svane
2. #2 Anish Giri - Lost R3 to Donchenko
3. #4 Vincent Keymer - Lost R4 to Esipenko
4. #5 Nodirbek Abdusattorov - Lost R3 to Martinez
5. #6 Praggnanandhaa - Lost R4 to Dubov
6. #7 Levon Aronian - Lost R5 to Arjun (with grace)
7. Magnus Carlsen - Never entered
8. Hikaru Nakamura - Never entered

The reality: This is one of the most upset-heavy World Cups in history. Arjun is now the clear favorite.

November 16 Tiebreak Schedule

Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025

Time: 4:30 AM ET / 10:30 CET / 3:00 PM IST

Format:

1. Two 15+10 rapid games
2. If tied: Two 10+10 blitz games
3. If tied: Two 5+3 blitz games
4. If tied: Two 3+2 blitz games
5. If tied: Armageddon (sudden death)

The Bottom Line

November 15 gave us brilliance, drama, and class.

Arjun Erigaisi delivered the move of the day - crushing Levon Aronian and reaching the Quarterfinals.

Levon Aronian gave us the moment of the day - smiling, accepting defeat with grace, and walking away with the dignity that defines true champions.

Wei Yi, Sindarov, and Yakubboev joined Arjun in the quarterfinals with decisive victories.

Tomorrow, four tiebreaks decide the rest - and India's Pentala Harikrishna carries the hopes of a nation.

Win tomorrow, and India has two in the Quarterfinals. Two shots at Candidates 2026. Two chances at glory.

Arjun Erigaisi is two wins from the Final. Two wins from Candidates 2026. Two wins from cementing his legacy.

But first, tomorrow, Harikrishna must win. For himself. For India. For the dream.

The World Cup 2025 continues to deliver: brilliant chess, shocking upsets, gracious defeats, and dreams within reach.

More to explore:

1. FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 4, Game 2: Donchenko Eliminates Bluebaum, Aronian and Martinez Advance
2. Why the World Cup Feels Like the Most Democratic Event in Chess
3. Wesley So Resigns in a Dead Draw: A Shocking Turn in Round 2