Arjun Erigaisi is making waves at the FIDE World Blitz Championship in Doha, where he shared the lead with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana after the 13th round on Monday. In a remarkable display earlier in the day, Erigaisi defeated the top-seeded Magnus Carlsen while playing with the black pieces in the ninth round, contributing to his impressive total of 10 points.
Trailing the leading trio by half a point are six players, none of whom are Indian. Notable Indian contenders include M. Pranesh, H. Goutham Krishna—who had previously garnered attention during the World Rapid Championship—R. Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani, and S.L. Narayanan, all of whom have nine points.
Gukesh, the reigning world champion, faced a challenging first day, notably suffering a defeat against 12-year-old Sergey Sklokin in the third round. He currently ranks 26th with 8.5 points and will look to improve as six rounds remain in the tournament’s league phase, with semifinals and finals scheduled for Tuesday.
In contrast, the women’s event has not seen the same level of success for Indian players. Divya Deshkukh stands as the highest-placed Indian competitor after the 10th round, sitting at 34th with six points. The leader of the women’s event is Dutch player Eline Roberts, who commands the board with 8.5 points, closely followed by Aleksandra Goryachkina, Umida Omonova, and Antoeneta Stefanova, all within striking distance.
Koneru Humpy, who recently claimed bronze in the rapid event, finds herself on five points and will aim to regain momentum in upcoming rounds. As the championship progresses, the remaining matches promise excitement and potential shifts in the leaderboard, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion.