In a format where chaos reigns and conventional chess wisdom is often turned on its head, Arjun Erigaisi stood tall as the only Indian to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Paris leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. While big names like R. Praggnanandhaa, D. Gukesh, and Vidit Gujrathi faltered, Arjun powered through a demanding set of rapid games to finish fourth after 11 rounds, earning his place in the quarter-finals where he will face American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.
Arjun’s journey in the tournament began with fireworks as he defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in just 29 moves and followed it up with a brilliant 35-move win over Fabiano Caruana, the world’s third highest-rated player. By the end of Day 1, he had notched up three wins and carried that momentum into Day 2, adding two more victories to finish with 6.5 points out of 11. He was placed behind only Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
D. Gukesh started Day 2 strong with back-to-back wins over Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer but lost his rhythm with three consecutive defeats. Praggnanandhaa, despite getting into promising positions, failed to convert his chances and fell short. Vidit endured a dismal run, losing nine out of 11 games, including a seven-game losing streak.
Style meets substance
Arjun’s success in freestyle chess lies in his bold, disruptive approach. Known for creating unorthodox positions and relishing imbalances, he has embraced the unpredictability of the variant. Unlike traditional formats, freestyle games skip standard openings, allowing Arjun to leap directly into complex middlegames where he thrives. “In Freestyle, those interesting positions arise naturally, even without me taking deliberate risks,” Arjun had said before the event.
After years of grinding in open tournaments and being overlooked for elite invitations, Arjun finally turned heads when he crossed the 2800 rating barrier, joining an exclusive club alongside Viswanathan Anand. Despite a dip at Tata Steel Masters 2025, he bounced back with three consecutive wins in online Freestyle Friday events, proving his versatility across time formats.
