GM Arjun Erigaisi in action in the 3rd round of the Chennai Grand Masters tournament at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai. (PHOTO: Chennai Grand Masters)
World No.4 Arjun Erigaisi is all set to make his debut at the Norway Chess tournament next year, scheduled to take place from May 26 to June 6.
At just 21 years of age, Arjun recently became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to reach an ELO rating of 2800.
“There are a lot of exciting things about Norway Chess, but for me, I would say the time control and Armageddon format stand out the most to me,” he said about playing the tournament.
Talking about his growth as a player, he said, “I used to lose games because of over-ambition and a lack of objectivity, but now I strive to channel my ambition in a balanced way.”
Arjun has been in sensational form this year, having won an individual gold as well as team title in India’s recent historic performance in the Chess Olympiad.
Born in Warangal, Telangana, Erigaisi earned the Grandmaster’s title at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 13 days. In September 2024, he became India’s top rated player.
Erigaisi now has 2801 rating points for the fourth sport, just below Hikaru Nakamura (2802) of USA. Norwegian Magnus Carlsen continued to be at the top spot with 2831 ratings, followed by Fabiano Caruana (2805) of the USA.
R Vaishali also set to compete in Norway
Along with Arjun, R Vaishali will also be taking part in the tournament at Norway, her second one there after she played in the 2024 edition.
Vaishali, India’s third woman Grandmaster, had won the 2023 FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss which earned her a spot in the Women’s Candidates Tournament earlier this year.
The Norway tournament brings together the top male and female players in a distinctive six-player double round-robin format. The introduction of Norway Chess Women in 2024, with equal prize funds for men and women, underscores the event’s commitment to gender equality and innovation in the sport.
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