From the Brink to the Break-through: How Pragg Escaped Elimination in a Chess Knockout Thriller.
In Round 2 of the knockout stage at the FIDE World Cup 2025 (held in Goa, India), Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa (“Pragg”) faced off against Temur Kuybokarov of Australia. Pragg was perilously close to being eliminated — while big names like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So and Nihal Sarin had already fallen — yet he dug deep, battled hard, and snatched the match in tremendous fashion.
Here is a game-by-game narrative of the eight games (standard + tie-break) in the match, with PGNs for key moments and a storyline of how momentum swung back and forth — until Pragg claimed victory.
Game 1
Result: Draw
Story: The match opened cautiously. Both players opted for solid structure, probing each other’s defences. Pragg, as White, tried for initiative; Kuybokarov responded with composure. The game settled at Equalizer position and ended in a peaceful draw.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 …
Game 2
Result – Draw
Story- Kuybokarov now with white test black patience that is he tested prag patience
But prag begins with the solid french defence
And kuybokarov was in attacking mood today but prag keep trading the pieces and Equalizer the position ended up in a draw
1.e4d62.d4Nf63.Nc3g64.Nf3Bg75.Bg5O-O6.e5Nfd77.Qe2f68.exf6exf69.Be3Nb610.O-O-Od511.Qd2Nc612.Bh6
Game 3
Result – Draw
Story – In this game from the starting onwards both the players started with symmetrical gameplay and playing . And after the queen exchange it ended up with one rook and two pawns at both the side and ended up in a draw
e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-Od66.Re1b57.Bb3Na58.d4Nxb39.axb3Bb710.dxe5Nxe411.exd6Qxd612.Qxd6Bxd613.Nc3f514.Ng5
Game 4
Result – Draw
Story – Here pragg got white so from starting he is on attacking mode as in the beginning he destroy kuybokarov pawn structure and always go for attack but he defends it’s well and while attacking brutally somewhat pragg lost his position and ended up in a draw.
.1e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-OBe76.Bxc6dxc67.d3Nd78.Be3a59.a4f610.Nh4Nf811.Nd2g612.f4exf413.Bxf4Qd714.Bh6Ne615.Kh1b616.e5
Game 5
Result – Kuybokarov won
Story – In this game prag got white and kuybokarov got black but due to his exceptional positional gameplay of black and highly great knowledge of dark squares he ended up with the material advantage and take a win from this match.
e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.O-ONf65.d3d66.c3a57.Bb3h68.Nbd2O-O9.h3Be610.Bc2d511.exd5Bxd512.Re1Re813.Qe2Nh514.Nf1Qf615.N1h2Ng3
Game 6
Result – pragg won
Story – Here pragg got black and in the starting kuybokarov was in attacking mode but prag played this game like a magician and patiently wait for his turn to flip the board in the starting kuybokarov has given him some threats but prag defended them successfully and on his turn he ended it in a beautiful checkmate in few moves and white resign.
e4g62.d4Bg73.Nf3a64.Bc4b55.Bb3Bb76.Qe2d67.a4b48.Qc4e69.Ng5Qc810.d5exd511.exd5Nf612.Qxb4h613.Ne4Nxd514.Qd2Ne715.Qe2O-O16.O-ONf517.Qd3Nd718.Nbc3Re8
Game – 7
Result- pragg won
Story- Here pragg win as he gets white and started with queen pawn opening and after a queen exchange and great knight fork that take one of the black rooks and that knight+ rook of prag help him to mate the black efficiently.
d4d52.Nf3Nf63.e3c54.Nbd2cxd45.exd4Nc66.c3Bf57.Bb5e68.Ne5Qb69.Qa4Rc810.Ndf3Be711.O-OO-O12.Re1Be413.Bg5Rfd814.Re2a615.Bd3Bxd3
Game – 8
Result – pragg won
Story – Here pragg got black and opening with symmetrical moves from both the sides in the starting as prag goes for a solid defence and temur was in a mood of going for a mate with his pushed pawn and rook but pragg defended it’s successfully and neither defended but also stops his pawn push to make a queen and ended up white to resign.
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nge75.c3Ng66.d4exd47.cxd4d58.exd5Qxd59.Nc3Qh510.O-OBg411.d5O-O-O12.Bxc6Bxf313.Qxf3Qxf314.gxf3bxc
Game 9
Result – Draw
Story – Here pragg got black and white opens up with king pawns opening and as usual symmetrical moves and after trading all the pieces with equalizer positions pragg got his black Bishop active and white got his white Bishop active and ended up in a draw.
1e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Nc3Nf64.d4exd45.Nxd4Bb46.Nxc6bxc67.Bd3d58.exd5O-O9.O-Ocxd510.h3c611.Qf3Re812.Bf4Nd713.Rae1Nc514.Bc7Nxd315.cxd3Qd716.Rxe8+Qxe817.Qf4a5
References
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=137723&pid=151629
Written by
Mohd Kamran Hasnain
