Arjun Erigaisi, the chess grandmaster who shocked Magnus Carlsen to became only Indian after Viswanathan Anand to finish at the World Rapid podium

Indian chess star Arjun Erigaisi delivered a standout performance at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, defeating reigning world No.1 Magnus Carlsen and finishing on the podium in the Open category. With this result, the 22-year-old became only the second Indian male player—after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand—to achieve a podium finish at the World Rapid Championships.

Erigaisi secured the bronze medal in Doha, finishing behind Carlsen and Russian grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev. His performance capped a remarkable year in which he repeatedly proved his ability to challenge Carlsen across formats. Earlier in 2025, Erigaisi defeated the Norwegian at Norway Chess in classical play and later bested him again in blitz competition in Doha.

The achievement drew praise from across India’s political and sporting circles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Erigaisi on social media, calling his bronze-medal finish a proud moment for the country and highlighting his determination on the global stage. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also hailed the result, noting that Erigaisi’s podium finish revived a historic Indian presence at the World Rapid Championships.


Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya praised both Erigaisi and Koneru Humpy, who also claimed bronze, calling their success a sign of India’s growing strength in world chess. Similar messages of congratulations came from Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The 2025 championship followed a 13-round Swiss format with a 15-minute base time and a 10-second increment per move. Erigaisi finished with 9.5 points to claim his first World Rapid bronze medal.

All about Arjun Erigaisi

Born on September 3, 2003, in Warangal, Telangana, Arjun Erigaisi has long been viewed as one of India’s brightest chess prospects. He became a grandmaster at just 14, earning all three GM norms within four months. After steadily climbing the rating ladder, he crossed the 2600 mark in 2021 and exploded onto the elite circuit in 2022. In recent years, he has won multiple international titles, played a key role in India’s gold-medal run at the 45th Chess Olympiad, and rose to become India’s top-ranked player in 2024—cementing his status as a force in modern chess.