CHENNAI: Grand Master Arjun Erigaisi, who has an Elo rating of 2627 as of November 2021, was in brilliant form as he bagged the rapid event and finished second place in the blitz segment at the Tata Steel India tournament. Everyone was left surprised when he, under the leadership of five-time world champion Vishy Anand, clinched the victory from the experienced Levon Aronian. "I had no expectations going into the tournament, so winning the rapid event ahead of Aronian is definitely a great feeling. Being mentored by someone of Vishy sir's caliber is definitely of so much help for any aspiring chess player," shared Arjun, who believes that the win in Kolkata will help him further reach for his potential at the upcoming events in Spain.
Kolkata proved its reputation of being a sports-loving crowd with ample spectators and cheering crowds. Egged on by them, Arjun came close to bagging the first place. "First of all, I had no idea that I would be playing in blitz when leaving for Kolkata. After winning the rapid event, it was like the cherry on top to get into the blitz event. Overall, it was great but I could have done better on the last day. I hope to learn from these invaluable experiences and become better," exclaimed the 18-year-old.
In the last five months, Arjun has made rapid strides, with even a victory against Lindores Abbery Blitz in Riga under his belt. In fact, Anand even referred to him as the new star of Indian chess. "I was slightly sick of classical chess as I was playing it nonstop without the best of results. I just wanted to enjoy the blitz event and it panned out well! Earlier, I believe I had the strength, but was lacking opportunities, and therefore, saw a dip in confidence. As the opportunities came in, I made use of them and results were there to see. It's a great feeling to have received such words from Vishy sir,'' explained the Telengana based player.
Arjun has been making the right moves to improve as a chess player in the international scene. He trains regularly with GM N Srinath and has also trained with Vishy Anand's former second, Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
"Srinath has definitely played a big role in my career. He saw the potential in me early on and has been guiding me. Training with Rustam Kasimdzhanov is helpful as well”, he says. Speaking of what comes next, he adds, "I wish to move onto classical chess and cross 2650, then 2700 soon,'' enthuses Arjun.