A clinical Andrey Esipenko proved a touch too difficult for Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev to handle, as the Russian defeated him in both Classical games of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 third-place playoff in Goa. With this victory, Esipenko secured the third and final Candidates spot from the event on Tuesday. After beating Yakubboev with the white pieces in Game 1, Esipenko needed only a draw in Game 2 to qualify for the eight-player World Championship challenger event in Cyprus. With no option but to create magic over the board to force tiebreaks, Yakubboev seemed to try too hard. His desperation showed when he sacrificed a bishop on just the 11th move, a decision that instantly swung the game in the Russian’s favour. A few minutes and several accurate moves later, Esipenko had extinguished Yakubboev’s Candidates hopes, reducing them to a far-fetched dream. Although Yakubboev continued until the 26th move, he ultimately resigned in a mate-in-six position for Esipenko. An exhausted Esipenko seemed relieved after the much-needed win, following the heartbreak of his semifinal, where …