FIDE World Cup 30 October - 27 November 2025

[LawrenceCooper]

Donchenko, Esipenko & Shankland win their first rapid game.

[Graham Borrowdale]

The finish of Shankland-Dubov (rapids game 1) was very neat.
Le Quang has equalised, and looked fortunate to my eyes.

[LawrenceCooper]

Le Quang has equalised, and looked fortunate to my eyes.

His play was certainly very risky but it did give Donchenko the chance to go wrong in complications, which he did.

[LawrenceCooper]

Shankland has won 2-0 against Dubov.

[LawrenceCooper]

Grebnev is trying to win rook & 4 v rook & 3 to stay in his match, I suspect it will go on for some time.

[LawrenceCooper]

Grebnev is trying to win rook & 4 v rook & 3 to stay in his match, I suspect it will go on for some time.

He tried for 145 moves but finally drawn and Esipenko qualifies to play Shankland in the quarter-final. Two matches left at the faster rapid time control.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Grebnev is trying to win rook & 4 v rook & 3 to stay in his match, I suspect it will go on for some time.

He tried for 145 moves but finally drawn and Esipenko qualifies to play Shankland in the quarter-final. Two matches left at the faster rapid time control.

These endings look easy, but they have got to hold their nerve for a long time. Much lesser mortals (like me) would have lost the k+p v k ending under this pressure, never mind the r+4 v r+3.

[LawrenceCooper]

Grebnev is trying to win rook & 4 v rook & 3 to stay in his match, I suspect it will go on for some time.

He tried for 145 moves but finally drawn and Esipenko qualifies to play Shankland in the quarter-final. Two matches left at the faster rapid time control.

These endings look easy, but they have got to hold their nerve for a long time. Much lesser mortals (like me) would have lost the k+p v k ending under this pressure, never mind the r+4 v r+3.

Agreed, I've learnt from playing Arkell & Hebden that such endings (maybe not this specific one) are never easy to draw and feel the onus is on me to try to defend them, often without much time to make the right decision.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Back to Le's second round must-win performance - I thought it was a brilliant opening choice in the circumstances!

[LawrenceCooper]

Two wins for black, Jospem against Harikrishna and Donchenko against Liem Le.

[LawrenceCooper]

Quarter-Final draw:

Sindarov v Martinez
Yakuobboev v Donchenko

Shankland v Esipenko
Wei Yi v Erigiasi

[Jonathan Rogers]

Uzbekistan then the only country with two players left (but neither of them Abdusattorov!)

[Jonathan Rogers]

Le loses.

Anyone over 30 left?

[LawrenceCooper]

Le loses.

Anyone over 30 left?

Shankland certainly is.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ok, I'll support him then! Was inclined to do so anyway.