In a dramatic conclusion to the Chess World Cup held in Goa, Russian grandmaster Andrey Esipenko secured one of the most coveted prizes in professional chess—a spot in the prestigious Candidates tournament. Playing under the FIDE flag, the 23-year-old world No. 41 displayed remarkable resilience throughout the grueling knockout event.
Road to Qualification
Despite falling to China's Wei Yi in the semi-final tiebreaks, Esipenko demonstrated exceptional mental fortitude by bouncing back to defeat Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Yakubboev with a clean 2-0 score in the classical phase of the third-place playoff. This victory proved crucial as it earned him the sixth of eight available slots for the Candidates tournament.
The win marks a significant career milestone for Esipenko, who was part of the group of 40-plus Russian chess players who signed an open letter condemning Russia's war in Ukraine. His qualification came after several near-misses in previous tournaments where he had led but failed to secure victory in final rounds.
Heartbreak for Yakubboev
While Esipenko celebrated his success, the tournament ended in disappointment for Nodirbek Yakubboev, who missed two clear opportunities to qualify for the Candidates. The Uzbek player had first lost to compatriot Javokhir Sindarov in the semi-finals before his defeat to Esipenko in the third-place match.
Yakubboev's journey was particularly poignant as he had spent only one week with his new wife after their marriage before joining the national training camp. His mother accompanied him to the Goa tournament for support. Despite his best efforts, he fell short of qualification but will take home $50,000 for his fourth-place finish.
Esipenko's Career-Defining Moment
"I am happy," Esipenko stated in his FIDE webcast interview. "This is probably the best moment of my chess career." The Russian grandmaster expressed complete exhaustion after playing approximately 30 games throughout the knockout format, admitting "I wanted it to be over finally."
Esipenko's path to qualification included a critical must-win situation in the third round against Iran's Pouya Idani, where he delivered under pressure. His career has been marked by notable achievements, including becoming a Grandmaster at just 16 years old and reaching the elite 2700 Elo rating three years later.
Perhaps his most famous accomplishment came in 2021 when he defeated reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen in the second rapid game of their World Cup pre-quarterfinal, despite losing the first game. He also beat Carlsen at Wijk aan Zee earlier that year in their only classical chess encounter to date.
Remarkably, no player has managed to eliminate Esipenko from the classical phase across 18 World Cup matches spanning four editions since 2019. This consistency finally paid off with his Candidates qualification after previous heartbreaks in the FIDE Grand Swiss and Aeroflot Open where he led but lost in final rounds.
"I really had this problem with key games," Esipenko reflected. "I am extremely happy that finally I played a good match when it mattered the most."
Tournament Highlights and Future Prospects
The championship clash between Javokhir Sindarov and Wei Yi extended to tiebreaks after they drew their second classical game. The winner of the Candidates tournament, scheduled for March and April in Cyprus, will earn the right to challenge India's D Gukesh for the world championship, likely in November.
Esipenko's accomplishment netted him $60,000 in prize money, while his Russian compatriot Daniil Dubov, who also competed under the FIDE flag, saw his strategy of taking matches to tiebreaks backfire when he lost to American Sam Shankland in the pre-quarterfinals.
The confirmed field for the 2026 Candidates tournament currently includes Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Blubaum, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, and Andrey Esipenko. Indian sensation R Praggnanandhaa and American star Hikaru Nakamura are expected to complete the lineup through alternative qualification routes.
