Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri has stepped forward to address the growing controversy surrounding the playing conditions at the FIDE World Cup in Goa, dismissing several allegations as exaggerated and unfounded. The debate began when Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time world championship contender, expressed his dissatisfaction after suffering an unexpected early elimination in the second round against Indian grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh.
The Criticism Begins
Ian Nepomniachtchi sparked the controversy with a cryptic message on his Telegram account, describing the venue as "One of those places that you won't be sad to leave." The situation escalated further when Fabiano Caruana's second, Cristian Chirila, mentioned on the C Squared Podcast that some players had reported bedbug issues in their hotel accommodations, adding fuel to the growing discontent.
Giri's Balanced Perspective
Anish Giri, who was eliminated in the third round of the tournament, made an appearance on the ChessBase India livestream during the third round tiebreaks to provide his firsthand account. The Dutch grandmaster acknowledged that playing in India presents challenges for Western players, but emphasized that similar difficulties exist for Indian players competing abroad.
"I'd be lying if I said that it was not a challenge to play in India for Western players. But it's the same, the other way around," Giri stated. "When I play in my cold city of Wijk aan Zee, there are Indians playing there and suffering without Indian food. It's too cold for them there. It's the same situation, but the reverse."
Addressing Specific Complaints
Giri specifically targeted the bedbug claims made by individuals not physically present at the tournament. He found humor in the situation, noting that people who weren't even in Goa were informing players about supposed bedbug infestations.
"People who are not here, they said that there are bedbugs here. It's kinda funny because they're not even here, they're there!" Giri remarked. "They're telling us that 'you guys have bedbugs'. And now we're in a state of panic: 'where are the bedbugs?' Some American guy is telling us that we have bedbugs here."
The grandmaster continued with a satirical take, suggesting that perhaps someone saw a mosquito near their bed and mistakenly identified it as a bedbug. He also dismissed other exaggerated claims, including one about players having to go outside in the heat to use toilet facilities, pointing out that the restrooms were conveniently located just five meters from the playing hall.
Tournament Conditions Assessment
Giri provided a balanced assessment of the actual playing conditions, noting that the food was reasonably diverse with Western options like pasta available, and the spice level wasn't as intense as he had feared. His main challenge, he admitted, was jet lag, from which he had completely recovered by the time of his elimination.
During his commentary, Giri also humorously addressed the tendency of players to find external factors to blame for tournament losses. "I told you that's why it's good to have a second. You can blame everything on the second. But if you don't want to blame it on the second, you have got to go with blaming other things," he quipped.
As a player making his fourth visit to India in 2025, Giri emphasized that adapting to different conditions is part of professional chess, and challenges exist for all players when competing outside their home countries.
