Esports World Cup 2025: Arjun Erigaisi beats Ian Nepomniachtchi, enters semifinals

India’s Arjun Erigaisi beat Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the quarterfinal of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Thursday.

Erigaisi outscored Nepomniachtchi 2.5-1.5 in a four-game encounter to secure his semifinal progression.

The tie began with a sedate draw before Erigaisi claimed a win with black pieces in the second game. Nepomniachtchi returned the favour in the third game to set up a decider.

In the fourth game, Erigaisi found a sequence of sharp moves in the middle game to gain the upper hand. Nepomniachtchi eventually resigned after the 41st move.

In the semifinal, Erigaisi will take on Alireza Firouzja, who beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov 3-1 in the last-eight.

Later in the day, India’s Nihal Sarin will take on five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen for a place in the semifinal.