FIDE World Cup Final Opens with a Draw, While Esipenko Takes the Lead in the Battle for Bronze

The opening game of the FIDE World Cup 2025 final in the Indian state of Goa ended in a draw, as Chinese grandmaster Yi Wei (rating 2752, 11th seed) and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov (2721, 25th seed) shared the point. The clash between two rising stars of the modern chess scene lasted 50 moves before the players agreed to a peaceful outcome.

Meanwhile, the third-place match delivered a far more decisive start. Playing with White, Russian grandmaster Andrey Esipenko (2681, 41st seed) outplayed Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev (2689, 37th seed). Esipenko applied consistent pressure from the opening and converted it into a confident victory, securing a psychological edge ahead of the return game.

The second classical games will be played on November 25, starting at 13:30 local time. Fans can expect a tense conclusion, as the fate of both matchups remains entirely undecided.