Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh pulled off a major upset with black pieces, stunning two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi, while GM P Harikrishna produced a near-flawless performance to outplay Arseniy Nesterov and advance to the third round of the FIDE World Cup 2025 here on Wednesday.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 is a single-elimination knockout tournament featuring 206 players from 82 countries competing for the coveted Viswanathan Anand Cup, named after the Indian legend.
Gupta, 36, delivered a flawless campaign, remaining unbeaten across 10 rounds. His decisive Round 9 victory over Belarusian GM Mihail Nikitenko gave him the edge, and a final-round draw against IM Aronyak Ghosh secured the title outright.
With over 2,500 participants from more than 20 countries, including 24 Grandmasters, and a record prize pool of Rs1.21 crore, the tournament is a premier stage for chess excellence and talent discovery.