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PM Narendra Modi congratulates Arjun Erigaisi after Indian GM matches Viswanathan Anand's World Rapid and Blitz feat
Arjun Erigaisi clinched bronze medals at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha.
Having experienced a difficult 2025, Arjun Erigaisi capped off the year with a bronze medal at the World Rapid and Blitz C'ships in Doha. In the blitz section, he lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the semifinals. The achievement also saw him become only the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to get medals in both sections of the World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Anand bagged the feat with rapid gold and blitz bronze in 2017.
His sensational performance in Doha saw Indian PM Narendra Modi take to social media to congratulate the Indian GM. He tweeted, "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 FIDE Rapid Chess Championship recently. His skills, patience and passion are exemplary. His successes will continue to inspire our youth. My best wishes to him. @ArjunErigaisi".
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In the round-robin stage of the Blitz section, Erigaisi also grabbed a famous win against Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen was left visibly annoyed and slammed the table, a reaction similar to his outburst after losing to D. Gukesh in 2025.
The round-robin blitz stage saw Erigaisi finish on top after 19 rounds, with 15 points (12 wins, 6 draws, and 1 defeat). Although he defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the round-robin stage, but he failed to beat him in the opening game of the semis. Then Nodirbek was clinical with the white pieces in the next game, sealing victory in the third game (2.5-0.5).
After his campaign, Erigaisi wrote on X, “Gratitude Thank you to my family, team and sponsor. Thank you to fellow chess players, organisers, volunteers and everyone else behind the scene making it happen. Finally thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout the year. It is always heartening to read the messages, they mean alot.”
