World Cup: Favourites join the fray, Wei and Esipenko snatch quickest wins

The World Cup entered a new phase on Tuesday in Goa, as chess heavyweights joined the field and the competition intensified. With the arrival of the top 50 seeds, 64 games were played in round two’s first day, producing 21 decisive results. Many top players began cautiously, but some struck quickly — among them Wei Yi and Andrey Esipenko, who each scored 26-move wins with sharp attacking play to make confident starts to their campaigns. | Photo: Michal Walusza