FIDE World Cup 2025 Round 4, Game 2: Donchenko Eliminates Bluebaum, Aronian and Martinez Advance

Alexander Donchenko continues giant-killing run by knocking out Candidates-qualified teammate Matthias Bluebaum. Martinez and Aronian seal advancement as 11 matches head to tiebreaks at FIDE World Cup 2025.

November 12, 2025: Five Players Advance to Round of 16

The FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa, India saw five players punch their tickets to the Round of 16 on November 12 after Game 2 of Round 4. The $2 million tournament, which determines three spots in the Candidates Tournament 2026, continues to deliver drama and upsets.

Players advancing to Round of 16:

1. GM Alexander Donchenko (Germany) - defeated GM Matthias Bluebaum 1.5-0.5
2. GM Jose Martinez (Mexico) - drew with GM Alexey Sarana, advanced 1.5-0.5
3. GM Levon Aronian (USA) - drew with GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek, advanced 1.5-0.5
4. GM Liem Le (Vietnam) - defeated GM Karthik Venkataraman 1.5-0.5
5. GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan) - defeated GM Pranav Venkatesh 1.5-0.5

Matches going to tiebreaks (November 13): 11 matches, including all three top Indian stars

The Biggest Story: Donchenko Eliminates Bluebaum

German vs. German Showdown

The game of the day featured an all-German battle with massive implications:Alexander Donchenko facing Matthias Bluebaum, who is already qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament through his Grand Swiss runner-up finish.

Donchenko, fresh off his stunning Round 3 elimination of Anish Giri (2769), showed no signs of slowing down.

The Game

Donchenko played with smooth precision, outmaneuvering Bluebaum in a positional struggle. The Candidates-qualified GM found no counterplay as Donchenko methodically improved his position before delivering the decisive blow.

Final result: Donchenko wins, advances 1.5-0.5

Donchenko's Giant-Killing Run

Round 3: Defeated Anish Giri (World #5, Candidates-qualified, 2769)

Round 4: Defeated Matthias Bluebaum (Candidates-qualified, 2671)

Donchenko has now eliminated two players who are already qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

That's not luck. That's championship-level performance.

The German GM, rated 2641, is proving that ratings mean little in knockout chess when you're playing inspired, confident chess.

Martinez: The Cinderella Story Continues

Fourth Consecutive Match Win

Mexican GM Jose Martinez became the first player to advance to the Round of 16, drawing Game 2 in just 20 moves through a threefold repetition against Russian GM Alexey Sarana.

Martinez's World Cup journey:

1. Round 3: Defeated world #12 Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2-0
2. Round 4 Game 1: Defeated Alexey Sarana with Black
3. Round 4 Game 2: Drew to seal advancement

Match result: Martinez advances 1.5-0.5

Martinez will face the winner of the Harikrishna-Grandelius tiebreak in Round 5.

From Dark Horse to Contender

At the start of the tournament, few would have predicted Martinez reaching the Round of 16. Now he's one of the most dangerous players remaining, having defeated a 2700+ super-GM and shown he can win with both colors.

If he keeps this up, Mexico could have its first Candidates qualifier in decades.

Aronian Advances: Two-Time Champion Still Rolling

Professional Finish

Two-time World Cup winner Levon Aronian sealed his Round 4 victory by drawing Game 2 in 35 moves with the black pieces against Polish GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek.

After winning Game 1 with his trademark "trying stupid ideas" approach (his words, not ours), Aronian needed only a draw to advance. He got it comfortably.

Match result: Aronian advances 1.5-0.5

Still a Force at 42

At 42 years old, Aronian continues to show why he's one of the most accomplished players in World Cup history. His experience in knockout formats is invaluable, and he's playing sharp, creative chess when it matters.

Can he win a third World Cup title? He's certainly positioned to try.

India's Big Three: All Head to Tiebreaks

Arjun Erigaisi vs. Peter Leko (1-1)

World #4 Arjun Erigaisi drew both classical games against legendary Hungarian GM Peter Leko.

Game 2: Erigaisi, playing White, accepted a draw after 36 moves. The position was balanced throughout with neither player getting serious winning chances.

Tiebreak matchup: India's young star vs. the 46-year-old former World Championship challenger. Experience vs. youth. This will be fascinating.

Praggnanandhaa vs. Dubov (1-1)

GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu continues his pattern of living dangerously and escaping.

Game 2: Pragga drew after 30 moves against the inventive Daniil Dubov. After nearly losing Game 1 when Dubov missed a huge advantage, Praggnanandhaa kept things solid in Game 2.

The pattern: Praggnanandhaa has been on the brink multiple times this World Cup but keeps surviving. Can his luck hold in rapid/blitz tiebreaks against one of the world's most creative tacticians?

Harikrishna vs. Nils Grandelius (1-1)

GM Pentala Harikrishna saved the day after finding himself in a difficult position in Game 2.

Game 2: Harikrishna drew after 38 moves with the Black pieces against Swedish GM Nils Grandelius. The position was tricky, but the veteran Indian GM held firm.

Experience factor: Harikrishna's decades of top-level experience could be decisive in tiebreaks. Grandelius is dangerous, but Harikrishna has been in these pressure situations countless times.

India's Casualties

Not all Indian players survived Round 4:

Pranav Venkatesh Eliminated

GM Pranav Venkatesh lost to Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev in Game 2.

Match result: Yakubboev advances 1.5-0.5

Pranav had a great run, but Yakubboev proved too strong in the critical moments.

Karthik Venkataraman Eliminated

GM Karthik Venkataraman, one of just two players rated below 2580 to reach Round 4, lost to Vietnamese #1 GM Liem Le in Game 2.

Match result: Le advances 1.5-0.5

Karthik's World Cup run was impressive, reaching Round 4 as the underdog showed real quality. But Le, a former world #20 player, had too much experience.

Round 4 Tiebreaks: November 13

11 Matches Heading to Rapid/Blitz

The following matches are tied 1-1 and will be decided in tiebreaks on November 13:

Top matchups:

1. Arjun Erigaisi (IND) vs. Peter Leko (HUN) - Youth vs. experience
2. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs. Dubov (RUS) - Can Pragga survive another close call?
3. Pentala Harikrishna (IND) vs. Nils Grandelius (SWE) - Veteran Indian vs. solid Swede
4. Vincent Keymer (GER) vs. Andrey Esipenko (RUS) - Germany's #1 vs. rising Russian star
5. Frederik Svane (DEN) vs. Shant Sargsyan (ARM) - Gukesh's conqueror continues his run
6. Yu Yangyi (CHN) vs. Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) - Chinese vs. Uzbek battle

Plus 5 more matches.

Tiebreak schedule: Thursday, November 13, starting at 4:30 AM ET / 10:30 CET / 3:00 PM IST

Tiebreak Format Reminder

1. First: Two rapid games (15 min + 10 sec increment)
2. If tied: Two games (10 min + 10 sec)
3. If tied: Two games (5 min + 3 sec)
4. If tied: Two games (3 min + 2 sec)
5. If tied: Armageddon (White 4 min, Black bids for time, Black wins on draw)

Brutal. Pressure-packed. Anything can happen.

Tournament Stakes: Three Candidates Spots

What's on the Line

The top three finishers at the World Cup qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus (March 28 - April 16, 2026).

The Candidates winner challenges World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the title in late 2026.

Already Qualified for Candidates:

1. Anish Giri (Grand Swiss winner) - eliminated from World Cup
2. Matthias Bluebaum (Grand Swiss runner-up) - eliminated from World Cup
3. Fabiano Caruana (FIDE Circuit 2024 winner)
4. Hikaru Nakamura (Rating spot)

Still to be decided:

1. World Cup top 3 finishers
2. FIDE Circuit 2025 winner

Candidates Implications

With Giri and Bluebaum both eliminated, the World Cup will produce three Candidates qualifiers who aren't already in.

This makes the tournament even more dramatic — every player still alive has a genuine shot at the Candidates.

The Remaining Field: Who's Left?

Confirmed Round of 16 (5 players):

1. Alexander Donchenko (Germany)
2. Jose Martinez (Mexico)
3. Levon Aronian (USA)
4. Liem Le (Vietnam)
5. Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan)

Fighting for Round of 16 (22 players in 11 tiebreak matches):

Strong favorites still alive:

1. Arjun Erigaisi (India, World #4)
2. Vincent Keymer (Germany, World #7)
3. Praggnanandhaa (India, 2023 World Cup runner-up)
4. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France, former world #2)

Dark horses:

1. Frederik Svane (Denmark) - eliminated World Champion Gukesh
2. Alexander Donchenko (Germany) - eliminated Giri and Bluebaum
3. Jose Martinez (Mexico) - eliminated Abdusattorov

Dangerous veterans:

1. Levon Aronian (USA) - two-time World Cup winner
2. Peter Leko (Hungary) - former World Championship challenger
3. Pentala Harikrishna (India) - decades of elite experience

Statistical Snapshot

Decisive games today: 3 wins, 13 draws

Matches to tiebreaks: 11 of 16

Players eliminated: Bluebaum, Wojtaszek, Sarana, Pranav, Karthik

Players advancing: Donchenko, Martinez, Aronian, Le, Yakubboev

German performance: 2 of 4 Germans remain (Donchenko advanced, Keymer in tiebreak, Bluebaum eliminated, Svane in tiebreak)

Indian performance: 3 of 5 Indians remain, all in tiebreaks (Arjun, Pragga, Harikrishna)

Tomorrow's Tiebreak Drama

November 13 will be one of the most dramatic days of the World Cup.

11 matches. 22 players. Only 11 will advance to the Round of 16.

Rapid and blitz chess. Time pressure. Tactical chaos. Potential Armageddon games with Black bidding for time.

This is where legends are made and dreams are shattered.

Key questions:

1. Can India's three stars all advance?
2. Will Praggnanandhaa finally run out of lives?
3. Can Frederik Svane continue his fairy tale run after eliminating the World Champion?
4. Will Vincent Keymer show why he's Germany's #1?

We'll find out in less than 24 hours.

The Bottom Line

November 12 delivered five Round of 16 qualifiers and set up an absolutely massive tiebreak day on November 13.

Alexander Donchenko's elimination of Candidates-qualified Bluebaum is the headline, but Martinez's Cinderella run and the three Indian stars heading to tiebreaks are equally compelling stories.

With the World Cup now down to 27 players fighting for 16 spots (5 qualified, 22 in tiebreaks), and ultimately three Candidates berths, every match carries World Championship implications.

Tomorrow, 11 matches will be decided. 11 players will advance. 11 will go home.

The FIDE World Cup 2025 is delivering everything we hoped for: upsets, drama, high-level chess, and genuine Candidates qualification battles.

Next up: November 13 tiebreak madness. Don't miss it.

Follow ChessTV.com for complete tiebreak coverage and all World Cup 2025 news.

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