Arjun Erigaisi Shines with Bronze at FIDE World Blitz Championships

Arjun Erigaisi's Remarkable Achievement

Doha [Qatar], December 30: Indian chess prodigy Arjun Erigaisi has made headlines by clinching the bronze medal at the FIDE World Blitz Championships held in Doha on Tuesday.

Despite an impressive showing during the league rounds, Erigaisi faced a setback in the semifinals against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, resulting in a loss. Nevertheless, his performance secured a bronze medal for India, as reported by ESPN.

Erigaisi advanced to the knockout stage, finishing the initial 18 rounds with a commendable score of 14.5 points, which included 12 victories, five draws, and just one defeat.

Prior to this event, he also participated in the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha, where he achieved his first bronze medal with a score of 9.5 in a 13-round Swiss format.

Notably, Arjun has become only the second Indian male chess player, following the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to reach the podium in this championship. Magnus Carlsen triumphed in the men's event, securing his sixth World Rapid title with an unbeaten score of 10.5 out of 13.

In the women's category, the title was decided through a blitz playoff after Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and defending champion Humpy Koneru ended up tied with 8 points each. In Round 11, Zhu and Goryachkina drew their matches.

Koneru had a winning position against B. Savitha but faltered under time pressure, leading to a draw. According to the rules, only the top two players based on tiebreaks advanced to the playoff finals, resulting in Goryachkina and Zhu competing in two blitz games, with Humpy securing the bronze. Goryachkina won the first game quickly and drew the second to claim the title.