Arjun Erigaisi and Wei Yi played out an uneventful draw in their first game of the quarterfinals in the FIDE Chess World Cup in Goa on Monday.

Neither player tried anything fancy and intended to simplify the position from move 10 when the first capture was made. The queens were off the table by move 17, and eight moves later, both Erigaisi and Yi were left with a rook apiece and a string of pawns. The draw was agreed on the 31st move.

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Erigaisi, the only remaining Indian in the contest, will play white in the second classical game of the match-up on Tuesday. If that game ends in a draw, the match will head into tiebreakers.

Two other quarterfinals, between Jose Martinez and Javokhir Sindarov and Andrey Esipenko and Sam Shankland, also ended in draws. Nodirbek Yakubboev beating Alexander Donchenko with white was the only decisive result in the first round of the quarterfinals.

The Chess World Cup began earlier this month with 206 players, including World Champion D Gukesh. World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, who is also the defending champion, is not participating in this edition.

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