The 2025 Chess World Cup in Goa, India, delivered major upsets as several top players, including Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, the USA’s Wesley So, and Hans Niemann, suffered surprise eliminations in the second round. The knockout tournament, featuring 206 players and a $2 million prize fund, uses a high-stakes format of short classical games followed by rapid, blitz, and even Armageddon tiebreaks, encouraging unpredictable results.
Nepomniachtchi, twice a world championship challenger, lost to India’s Diptayan Ghosh and left Goa with a terse comment, expressing no sadness at departing. Wesley So faced an even more shocking exit after resigning in a drawn position against Lithuanian Titas Stremavicius, having missed a hidden stalemate defense. Meanwhile, Hans Niemann’s hopes of becoming the next American world champion were dashed as he was outplayed by Italy’s Lorenzo Lodici.
In contrast, England’s Michael Adams, 53, produced a stirring performance to defeat Bulgaria’s Ivan Cheparinov 6-4 after ten tense games. Adams, the oldest player remaining, found his rhythm in the blitz stage, dominating with calm precision and strategic mastery. His victory sets up a third-round clash with Lodici, the same player who eliminated Niemann. England’s other representative, Nikita Vitiugov, was knocked out by India’s Sunilduth Narayanan.
The event also saw rising talents make headlines. Twelve-year-old Faustino Oro impressed by defeating Croatia’s Ante Brkic before bowing out against Vidit Gujrathi. India’s Pentala Harikrishna produced one of the tournament’s most beautiful games with a prepared queen sacrifice in the Petroff Defence.
Back in Britain, the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) kicked off its 2025–26 season. Title favourites Wood Green, led by Jonathan Speelman, Matthew Turner, and Harriet Hunt, started strong, while 11-year-old Supratit Banerjee continued his pursuit of an IM title norm. The all-female She Plays to Win Lionesses, captained by French WGM Andreea Navrotescu and 10-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, also made waves with a stunning 5–3 victory over Alba.
As the World Cup moves into its final rounds, the blend of youthful promise, veteran resilience, and unexpected drama ensures that chess fans around the world remain captivated by every move.
