Panaji: India’s GM Vidit Gujrathi finally managed to crack the defence of Argentine wonder kid Faustino Oro in the second rapid game while Pranav V and Pranesh M also got the better of their respective opponents in the first set of rapid games to advance to the third round of the FIDE World Cup 2025 here on Thursday.
Vidit had been put under pressure by 12-year-old Oro in the two classical games but on Thursday, the 31-year-old Indian relied on his experience to grind out a 52-move win in the second rapid game with black pieces. Pranav defeated Aryan Tari of Norway while Pranesh beat Dimitrij Kollars of Germany to join the likes of world champion Gukesh D, Arjun Erigasi, P Harikrishna, Karthik Venkatraman and Diptayan Ghosh in the next round.
Speaking about the feeling after beating the youngest player in the competition, Vidit admitted that playing against the youngster was challenging as the pressure was on him but added, “It feels good to qualify for the next round. It was not an easy match, so it feels good all the more.”
However, Vidit was all praise for the Argentine youngster. “The way young players play chess is very different because they have grown up with computers and have much more experience than the previous generation. But it’s not like there are many prodigies. He is special because at the age of 12 he is playing like a seasoned player.”
Vidit will now face USA’s Sam Shankland, who defeated GM Vasyl Ivanchuk in the second round.
On the other boards, world junior champion Pranav, put behind the loss in the second classical game on Wednesday, to win the first rapid game in 44 moves in a rook-pawn ending. He then held the Norwegian to a draw in the second game with black to advance.
“Today I just tried to play my game and not think about the earlier two games and my preparations worked out,” said Pranav, who will now face Titas Stremavicius of Lithuania, who defeated Wesley So in the second round.
In the match between Pranesh and Kollars, the Indian, playing black, grabbed the advantage in the 24th move in the second rapid game and then steadily built on that to win in 48 moves. He will now face German GM Vincent Keymer.
Meanwhile, 10th seed GM Hans Niemann of USA joined the list of top players being knocked out early in the competition after he lost the first rapid game after a marathon 77 moves against Lorenzo Lodici of Italy. The two players had drawn both their classical games.
(IANS)
