Ian Nepomniachtchi slammed after blaming conditions in India following FIDE World Cup exit: 'Sore loser this guy'

In a major upset at the ongoing 2025 FIDE World Cup, Indian Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh stunned two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi to advance to the next round. Playing with black pieces, Diptayan capitalised on a small mistake from the Russian early in the game and converted it into a brilliant win in 47 moves.

“Defeating Nepo in a match is a big thing. So definitely it’s a big day. It will take some time to sink in (the win),” Diptayan, who is competing in his very first World Cup, said after the victory.

However, Nepomniachtchi’s reaction after the loss has sparked controversy. The reigning joint-Blitz champion blamed the conditions in India, saying it was “one of those places you won’t regret leaving.” He reportedly left the country within an hour of his exit from the Chess World Cup.

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“I’d played in India before (in 2019 in Kolkata), so I had a general idea of what the conditions would be like. But FIDE, to their credit, managed to surprise me. There’s nothing to say about the chess aspect. It’s one of those places you won’t regret leaving,” Nepomniachtchi wrote on Telegram.

Nepomniachtchi slammed by fans

His comments have not gone down well with fans, who accused him of being disrespectful and making excuses. One user hit back sharply, writing, “Sore loser this guy — Ian Nepomniachtchi is. How dare he comment on random stuff than accept the defeat and realize that he is nowhere good in chess even against a 2573 rating guy.”