Arjun Erigaise to Face Tough Competition at World Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament in New York

Grandmaster Arjun Erigaise faces a tough challenge as he gears up to compete in the World Rapid and Blitz chess tournament in New York. With the goal of becoming the first Indian to enter the 2026 Candidates’ tournament, Erigaise will have to overcome formidable opponents, including top-ranked players like Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen.

The last time an Indian player claimed victory in this tournament was in 2019, when Koneru Humpy emerged as the champion. Erigaise will be looking to follow in her footsteps and make history for India once again.

However, the competition will be fierce, with Carlsen returning to defend his title as the top seed in both rapid and blitz. Erigaise will need to outplay not only Carlsen but also Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura to secure his chances of qualifying for the Candidates’ tournament.

Other Indian players to watch out for in the tournament include R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani, and Aravindh Chithambaram in the open section, as well as Humpy Koneru, R Vaishali, and Divya Deshmukh in the women’s section.

The tournament promises to be an exciting battle of wits, with a total prize pool of USD 90,000 in the open section and USD 60,000 in the women’s section up for grabs. Stay tuned as Erigaise and his fellow Indian players take on the world’s best in the fast-paced world of rapid and blitz chess.