The quarterfinal clash at the FIDE World Cup between India’s Arjun Erigaisi and China’s Wei Yi, initially touted as a potential showstopper, concluded with an unexpected speed. The first Classical game of the matchup ended in a rapid draw after just 31 moves, lasting less than an hour. Both players exhibited near-perfect play, achieving accuracy scores exceeding 99%, which ultimately led to a bloodless, anticlimactic result.

This quick outcome was not an isolated incident; it highlighted a growing trend throughout the tournament—the increasing prevalence of draws in the Classical rounds, which forces critical results to be decided by quicker time controls (tiebreaks). This pattern brings to the forefront a key question facing the competitive chess world: Has classical chess become over-theorized?

As the stakes rise in high-level tournaments like the World Cup, players are incentivized to adopt a risk-averse strategy. The goal often shifts from winning the Classical game to ensuring a solid draw, reserving energy and relying on preparation for the faster Rapid and Blitz tiebreaks. The statistics from the tournament underscore this cautious approach, with previous rounds seeing draw rates as high as 75% to 84%, pushing a significant majority of matches into the shorter time controls.

This sentiment was openly shared by former World Rapid Champion Daniil Dubov. He revealed that his preparation for Classical games has become minimal—sometimes just five or ten minutes without even consulting a computer—because, in his view, “Everybody knows everything.” Dubov expressed frustration that it is incredibly difficult to gain a tangible advantage with the White pieces against a highly prepared opponent. His personal success in the World Cup campaign, achieved solely through tiebreak wins rather than Classical victories, exemplifies the shift.

From a coach’s perspective, Grandmaster Vaibhav Suri, who trains R. Praggnanandhaa, explained the rationale. He pointed to the minuscule difference in skill between top-tier players. While creating new, winning opening ideas is necessary for differentiation, it carries a significant risk. Given the high stakes, players often choose to minimize that risk, leading to prepared, non-committal draws.

Ultimately, this trend creates a fundamental paradox: A major Classical chess championship is increasingly being determined by skill in faster formats. The prevalence of quick, safe draws suggests that while players are technically flawless, the exhaustive depth of modern opening theory is often stifling complex, creative battles in the traditional time control.