Arjun Erigaisi Achieves Double Podium Success at World Chess Championships

Arjun Erigaisi's Remarkable Achievements

Indian chess grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has showcased his exceptional talent by winning a bronze medal at the FIDE World Blitz Championships held in Doha on Tuesday. Despite an impressive performance during the league rounds, he faced a setback in the semifinals against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, resulting in a loss. Nevertheless, his achievement marks a significant milestone for India in the chess arena, as reported by ESPN.

Erigaisi secured his place in the knockout stage by accumulating 14.5 points over the first 18 rounds, which included 12 victories, five draws, and one defeat.

First Medal at World Rapid Championship

Earlier, during the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Championship, also in Doha, Arjun earned his first bronze medal. The tournament featured a 13-round Swiss format with a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment. He finished with a score of 9.5 points, making him the second Indian male player to achieve a podium finish at this event, following the legendary Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.

Highlights from the Championships

In the men's rapid category, Magnus Carlsen secured his sixth World Rapid title, finishing with an unbeaten score of 10.5 out of 13.

In the women's rapid event, the competition concluded with a blitz playoff after Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and defending champion Humpy Koneru all ended up tied with 8 points from 10 games. In Round 11, Zhu and Goryachkina drew their matches, while Koneru, despite having a winning position against B. Savitha, misplayed in time trouble, resulting in a draw.

According to the tournament rules, only the top two players based on tiebreaks advanced to the playoff finals. Consequently, Goryachkina and Zhu faced off in two blitz games, with Humpy Koneru ultimately claiming the bronze medal. Goryachkina won the first game and drew the second to clinch the title.