CHENNAI: Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi won the Tata Steel Challengers event at Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands in style. Arjun’s (10.5/13) victory earned him a spot in the 2023 Tata Steel Masters.
The 18-year old Arjun, who remained unbeaten throughout the meet, registered eight wins and managed five draws. The teenager defeated Marc Andria Maurizzi of France in the final round. Maurizzi had beaten India’s Surya Shekhar Ganguly in the 12th round.
He is the fourth Indian after P Harikrishna, B Adhiban and Vidit Gujrathi to win the event. Arjun’s play has earned him praises from World No 1 Magnus Carlsen and India great Viswanathan Anand. “He is going to be 2700 (Elo rating) soon. He is by far the best player in the ‘B’ group (Challengers section) and he really plays chess in a way that I enjoy!” said Carlsen.
Arjun prepared in earnest for the event and took the help of coach N Srinath who trained him in Wijk aan Zee. “It’s a great feeling to win the tournament. I prepared well and played well, concentrating on one game at a time. To remain undefeated I did not do anything special. N Srinath who trained me played a big role in my win,’’ said an elated Arjun from the Netherlands.
While playing Challengers he got to watch and enjoy Masters’ games. Arjun also had to be watchful during his stay at Netherlands during times of Covid-19. “It (Covid atmosphere) was not too threatening to me personally to be honest. It was a great tournament overall and I look forward to Masters next year. Training blitz games with five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand surely helped me a lot and I’m thankful to him. Anand’s kind words of appreciation and Carlsen’s praise is definitely a confidence booster for me. I’m looking forward to reaching 2700 soon,’’ signed off Arjun.