Arjun Erigaisi Advances to Semifinals of Prestigious Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

Arjun Erigaisi, the Indian chess prodigy ranked fifth in the world, has achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Indian to reach the semifinals of the prestigious Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old secured his spot in the penultimate stage with a strategic 1.5 - 0.5 win over World No. 7, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, according to a release from MGD1.

Erigaisi dominated the first rapid game and held a draw in the second to eliminate the Uzbek contender in a competition that favors creativity over rote openings. Consistently impressive, Arjun advanced from the initial round-robin stage, earning 4 points across 7 games against an array of global contenders, including 3 wins and 2 draws. His innovative and courageous style in the Chess960 format has captivated the international chess fraternity.

Erigaisi now joins elite players Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, and Hans Niemann in the upper-bracket semifinals. His upcoming match is against experienced Grandmaster Levon Aronian, scheduled for July 19. This milestone also accentuates India's rising influence in the global chess scene, particularly in pioneering formats like Freestyle Chess. Arjun's performance significantly contributes to his standings in the overall Grand Slam and highlights a landmark season where he achieved an outstanding 2800 rating. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)