India Celebrates Bronze Medals at FIDE World Rapid Championship

India's chess players Arjun Erigaisi and Koneru Humpy have made the nation proud by winning bronze medals at the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, along with other officials, congratulated the players for their remarkable achievements. Arjun's win marks a historic moment as he becomes only the second Indian male player to achieve a podium finish in this championship. The women's title was decided in a thrilling blitz playoff, showcasing the intense competition. The excitement continues with the upcoming World Blitz Championship. Read on for more details about this significant event in the chess world.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 29, 2025, 20:08 IST

Celebrating Chess Achievements

On Monday, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, praised Indian chess players Arjun Erigaisi and Koneru Humpy for their impressive bronze medal wins at the FIDE World Rapid Championship held in Doha.

The championship featured a 13-round Swiss format with a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment. Arjun secured his first bronze medal with a score of 9.5. In a post on X, Mandaviya expressed, "Wonderful Achievement for India. Heartiest congratulations to @humpy_koneru and @ArjunErigaisi on winning bronze medals at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha. Your remarkable achievements reflect Bharat's growing dominance on the global chess stage."

Ministerial Congratulations

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, along with Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, also extended their congratulations to Erigaisi and Humpy for their accomplishments at the championship.

Goyal shared on X, "Double joy for India. Heartiest congratulations to @ArjunErigaisi and @Humpy_Koneru for winning bronze medals at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship. Both have shown exceptional skills & grit, making us proud. My best wishes for their future endeavours."

Rathore added in his X post, "Double delight for India. Warmest congratulations to @ArjunErigaisi and @humpy_koneru on clinching bronze medals at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship. Their remarkable skill, composure, and fighting spirit have made the nation proud. Wishing them continued success and many more milestones ahead."

Historic Achievements

Arjun made history by becoming the second Indian male player to achieve a podium finish, following the legendary Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand. Magnus Carlsen won his sixth World Rapid title in the men's event, finishing with an unbeaten score of 10.5 out of 13.

In the women's championship, the title was decided through a blitz playoff after Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and defending champion Humpy Koneru all finished tied with 8/10 points. In Round 11, Zhu and Goryachkina drew their games, while Koneru had a winning position against B. Savitha but misplayed in time trouble, resulting in a draw.

Playoff Details

According to the championship rules, in case of a tie for first place, only the top two players advanced to the playoff finals based on tiebreaks. Goryachkina and Zhu faced off in two blitz games, with Humpy securing the bronze medal. Goryachkina won the first game quickly and drew the second to claim the title.

Upcoming Events

The chess action continues with the World Blitz Championship set to begin on Monday, December 29, featuring both Open and Women's categories.