The last two years have been most productive for Indian chess in terms of interest the game generated, the success many players from the country enjoyed and chess finally reaching the heights wherein it has become now a full-time career sport.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi was knocked out of the FIDE World Cup, losing to Wei Yi of China 1.5-2.5 in the first set of tiebreak games in Panaji on Wednesday.
With Goa fast emerging as a preferred host for major international sporting events, the state is now setting its sights on a promising new frontier in its tourism landscape, sports tourism, officials said.
Seeking to qualify for the Candidates' event, India's top-rated Arjun Erigaisi walked off with an easy draw with his Chinese counterpart Wei Yi in the first game of the quarterfinals.
Arjun Erigaisi remained the lone Indian in the quarterfinals after P Harikrishna was eliminated in the fifth-round tie-break games of the FIDE World Cup.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi stormed into the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup, defeating two-time winner Levon Aronian of the United States in the second game of the round of 16.
Grandmaster P. Harikrishna started his fifth round with a relatively easy draw against Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, while Arjun Erigaisi signed peace with a solid Levon Aronian at the FIDE World Cup
Arjun Erigaisi and P Harikrishna had another good day as they sent veteran Peter Leko of Hungary and Swede Nils Grandelius packing in the fourth-round tiebreaker.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi kept himself in contention on Wednesday and will fight in the tie-break along side R Praggnanandhaa and P Harikrishna in the fourth round of the Chess World Cup.
Arjun won both his matches without any tiebreak. The Indian has won three out of his four games thus far under the classical time control and has shown the exit door to Martin Petrov of Bulgaria and Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan in the process.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi continued with his fine form to beat his Uzbek counterpart Shamsiddin Vokhidov in a clean attacking game, while world champion D Gukesh played out a draw.
Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi on Thursday sparked controversy by leaving his hotel immediately after being eliminated from the FIDE World Cup.