The FIDE World Cup Goa 2025 final for the Viswanathan Anand Cup will be decided in a tiebreak after GM Wei Yi and GM Javokhir Sindarov opted for a second consecutive safe draw, repeating a 30-move line that ensured no risk.
Wei, having drawn Game 1 with black, mirrored Sindarov’s semi-final approach against Yakubboev to close peaceably. The third-place playoff saw sharper action as Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev gambled for a must-win but fell to Russia’s GM Andrey Esipenko, who won again to claim bronze and secure a Candidates spot. “It feels good to have qualified for the Candidates,” said Esipenko after a tough, decisive stage.