Chess World Blitz: Arjun Erigaisi clinches bronze; Magnus Carlsen wins title

Magnus Carlsen once again demonstrated his endgame mastery, adding the World Blitz Championship crown to the Rapid gold medal he won last week. The Norwegian defeated Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5-1.5 in the blitz final in Doha on Tuesday (December 30).

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Meanwhile, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi claimed the bronze medal at the World Blitz Championship, becoming only the second Indian male player after Viswanathan Anand to win a medal in the Open category of the event.

Ergaisi's record victory

The 22-year-old’s third-place finish not only earned him a World Blitz bronze but also completed a rare double, following his bronze medal in the Rapid Championship earlier in the tournament. Erigaisi is now only the second Indian male chess player, after Anand, to have medalled at the World Blitz Championship.

Erigaisi had earlier impressed by defeating top contenders, including Carlsen and Abdusattorov, to emerge as the sole leader with 10 points from 13 games in the Swiss stage on Monday.

He carried that form into Tuesday, winning four games and drawing two in the final six rounds to finish on 15 points and secure a place in the semi-finals.

With Erigaisi in strong form and having already beaten Abdusattorov earlier in the tournament, expectations were high going into the knockout stage.

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However, things took a different turn when he failed to convert an advantage with the white pieces in the opening game of the semi-final, eventually losing in 47 moves to trail 0-1.

Modi congratulates Erigaisi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Erigaisi on Wednesday (December 31), saying his achievement would inspire young players across the country.

“India’s strides in chess continue! Congratulations to Arjun Erigaisi for winning the bronze at the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, following his bronze medal in the FIDE Rapid Chess Championship recently,” Modi said in a post on X.

“His skills, patience and passion are exemplary. His success will continue to inspire our youth. My best wishes to him,” the Prime Minister added.

Carlsen reflects on tough win

Carlsen later acknowledged the difficulty of the field and admitted that he had been fortunate to claim a record-extending ninth World Blitz title after suffering early setbacks in the tournament.

“This was a very tough event for me. It could have gone either way. But once we reached the knockouts, I decided to really enjoy it, and it worked out,” Carlsen said after securing gold in both the Rapid and Blitz events.

In the final against Abdusattorov, Carlsen refused to settle for a draw and produced a surprising pawn move in the fourth game to clinch the match, after the two players were tied at 1.5 points apiece.

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The victory was particularly satisfying for the Norwegian, who had endured a turbulent Swiss stage.

Time-trouble setback

In the 14th round, Carlsen suffered a major setback when he dropped a piece in time trouble and lost the game.

In a tense moment against Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan, Carlsen accidentally knocked over several pieces with just two seconds left on his clock.

While attempting to reset the board, he inadvertently pressed the clock, gaining extra time illegally. Following an intervention by the arbiters, Martirosyan was declared the winner.

Despite those reverses, Carlsen regained his composure in the latter stages and ultimately emerged champion once again.

(With agency inputs)