Day 2 of the Chess Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh saw Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Nihal Sarin, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov battle through the lower bracket to secure the final quarterfinal spots ahead of the knockout stage.
Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, Nihal, Abdusattorov advance at Chess EWC
Day 2 of the Chess Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh delivered chaos, drama, and a stunning mouse slip that stole the headlines. Four players — Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov — survived the lower bracket gauntlet to join Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Alireza Firouzja, and Arjun Erigaisi in the quarterfinals.
The day’s most shocking moment came in Jan-Krzysztof Duda’s armageddon clash with Abdusattorov. On move five, a slip of the mouse cost Duda a piece and his tournament life, a mistake worth at least $20,000 in lost prize money. Abdusattorov, who had already eliminated Fabiano Caruana earlier, capitalized and advanced with a mix of skill and luck.
In Group A, Ian Nepomniachtchi mounted a comeback against compatriot Andrey Esipenko, winning a must-win game from a losing position before clinching the armageddon. Group B saw Nihal Sarin use his trademark bullet-chess resilience to edge out Maxime Vachier-Lagrave after surviving chaotic scrambles against Anish Giri.
Group C featured one of the closest matches of the tournament so far, with Hikaru Nakamura overcoming Wei Yi in a tense armageddon decider. Wei had winning chances in both classical games but faltered under time pressure, allowing Nakamura to escape and secure qualification.
With the group stage complete, the quarterfinals promise blockbuster clashes: Carlsen vs Nihal, Aronian vs Nakamura, Firouzja vs Abdusattorov, and Erigaisi vs Nepomniachtchi.
The knockout rounds begin Thursday with four-game matches, escalating to six games for the semifinals.
While chess betting has surged in popularity, no odds have been posted yet by the top online betting sites. Lines may appear on Thursday before quarterfinals start.
The event continues through August 1 at Boulevard Riyadh City, with $250,000 awaiting the champion and Esports World Cup team points also on the line in the $27 million cross-title standings.
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