Chess World Cup: Arjun Erigaisi, Harikrishna rise as Pragg exits

Of the 24 Indian players who entered the competition, only two remain

- Shahid Judge

And then there were just two left in the competition. But not quite the lineup expected. Twenty-four Indians were a part of the 206 that started at the ongoing FIDE World Cup in Goa. On Thursday, when the fourth round tiebreakers ended, only Arjun Erigaisi and Harikrishna Pentala remained from the home contingent.

The only Indian to exit from the tournament on the day happened to be the one from whom a lot had been expected at this competition. At the previous edition of the World Cup in 2023, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu was the 31st seed who pulled off upsets to reach the final. It only took the great Magnus Carlsen - that too after being stretched to stop the Chennai lad's run.

This time, third seed Praggnanandhaa entered the tournament as the world No.7, and a player who has been in good form. But his time in Goa ended at the hands of Russian GM Daniil Dubov, who earned a 2.5-1.5 win. Suddenly, with Praggnanandhaa out, home hopes have now fallen on the shoulders of Arjun and a player not entirely expected to get this far, Harikrishna.