Sunday, Jul 3, 2022

Arjun eyes more glory after maiden national Championship title

By Shiva Krishna Gundra

Published: Published Date - 11:40 PM, Fri - 4 March 22

File Photo: Telangana chess player Arjun Erigaisi.

Hyderabad: Arjun Erigaisi, who emerged champion in the 58th Senior National Championship in Kanpur on Thursday, was delighted with the maiden title. With the victory, he also got some crucial rating points that will boost his rankings.

However, the decision to participate in the tournament was a last-minute one. The Telangana lad, who hails from Warangal, decided to give it a go in the final moments. He added that more than the title, adding 11 ratings points was crucial. “I am delighted with the maiden national title. However, I decided to take part in the final moments. It is a good feeling. But more than the title, I got good rating points from the tournament,” he added.

He also revealed that he didn’t train much for this tournament. “I just worked on my openings and nothing much. I just gave my best and the result followed.” Arjun has been performing exceedingly well in the recent past. He also emerged champion in the Tata Steel Challengers series with a round to spare that made him eligible for the next year’s Tata Steel Masters tournament. He said that winning the tournament in the Netherlands was very satisfying.

The Tata Steel Masters tournament will be held in January next year and he is already eager to take on the likes of Magnus Carlsen. “I have played against Carlsen in the rapid event but not in the classical format. So it will be very challenging. I am eagerly waiting for it,” he revealed.

“The victory like this in the Netherlands and now in the national championship motivates me to work harder. I want to do well in the next tournaments and become a strong player,” added the 18-year-old.

With no clarity on major tournaments yet, he will be seen in action playing in the Bangladesh’s Premier Division Chess League next. “I have competed in the league last year as well. We don’t know what the major tournaments are next. So I decided to play in this league again. It will be a good experience for me,” he concluded.

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