Pranav V Warned for Scoresheet Error, Wins in Chess World Cup

The ongoing Chess World Cup 2025 witnessed a brief controversy on Friday during the third-round match between Lithuanian Grandmaster Titas Stremavicius and Indian Grandmaster Pranav V. Stremavicius lodged a formal complaint against Pranav for making several moves without recording them on his scoresheet, a clear violation of the tournament’s regulations which mandate players to note down every move during the game.

The dispute escalated to the point where a third arbiter was called in to resolve the issue. After reviewing the situation, the arbiters issued a formal warning to Pranav, and the game resumed. Pranav went on to secure a victory and currently leads the third-round encounter.

Speaking on the controversy, Pranav said, “I did not know this, but you cannot make, like, I think, three moves without writing.” He later clarified that he had unintentionally overlooked the rule.

Indians continued their strong performance in the tournament on Friday. Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna both recorded wins playing with the white pieces. Erigaisi defeated Uzbekistan’s Shamsiddin Vokhidov in just 30 moves, while Harikrishna defeated Belgium’s Daniel Dardha in a swift 25 moves.

Harikrishna shared insights on his match, saying, “I had prepared something new. Of course, there was help for me, but I could not recall all the moves in this variation. But there were some nice tricks that happened, and some moves my opponent missed. Basically, he didn’t realise the danger properly in the game.”

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion D Gukesh drew his first game in Round 3, playing with the black pieces.

The FIDE World Cup 2025, a highly competitive single-elimination knockout event, features 206 players from 82 countries. So far, some prominent names such as Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So, and Hans Niemann have been eliminated. India boasts a strong contingent, with 10 players advancing to the third round, underscoring the country’s rising prominence in international chess.