Panaji: Chess enthusiasts experienced another uneventful day as Wei Yang from China and Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan opted for cautious play, resulting in straightforward draws in the second game of the semifinals at the FIDE World Cup on Saturday. Wei Yi, playing with the white pieces, made attempts against the resolute Andrey Esipenko of Russia, but the robust Petroff defense proved insurmountable in their classical time-controlled game. From the Chinese perspective, despite his efforts to maintain a standard position, victory remained elusive. In the other semifinal, the trend continued, with both players seemingly aiming for a draw to advance to the tiebreak stage. Expectations were high for Javokhir Sindarov to perform better, yet he allowed compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev another opportunity.
A simple opening followed by quick exchanges led to a drawn endgame that lacked the intensity of a competitive match, with both players appearing to await a favorable outcome in the tiebreaker. With no Indian players influencing the results and three of the four participants guaranteed spots in the Candidates tournament set for Cyprus in March 2026, Yakubboev stands out as the lone player facing significant pressure, as he is considered an underdog in this context. Results Semifinals game 2: Wei Yi (Chn) drew with Andrey Esipenko (Fid); Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb) drew with Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzb).