NEW DELHI: The 21-year-old Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the second Indian in history to reach the prestigious 2800 Elo rating in classical chess. He joins the legendary Viswanathan Anand in this exclusive club. Erigaisi also currently holds the world number four ranking.
Erigaisi has had an exceptional year, highlighted by his outstanding performance at the Chess Olympiad. He secured both individual and team gold medals, contributing significantly to India’s historic win.
“Arjun Erigaisi has become the 16th player in history to break the 2800 Elo barrier in classical chess ratings!” The International Chess Federation (FIDE) celebrated Erigaisi’s achievement on ‘X’.
“ArjunErigaisi joins five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand as the second Indian to achieve this milestone. In the December 2024 #FIDERating list, his rating stands at 2801, and he is currently ranked #4 in the world!”
FIDE also highlighted Erigaisi’s impressive performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad, where he played a key role in India’s success.
“Earlier this year, this 21-year-old also delivered a stellar performance at the 45th #ChessOlympiad, winning both team gold and individual gold!”
Hailing from Warangal, Telangana, Erigaisi achieved the Grandmaster title at the remarkably young age of 14 years, 11 months, and 13 days. In September 2024, he further solidified his position by becoming India’s top-rated player.
Erigaisi’s current Elo rating is 2801, placing him just below Hikaru Nakamura of the USA, who holds a rating of 2802. Magnus Carlsen of Norway maintains his position at the top of the rankings with a rating of 2831, followed by Fabiano Caruana of the USA with 2805.
Another rising star in the world of chess is 18-year-old Indian prodigy D Gukesh. He is currently engaged in a battle for the World Championship title against Ding Liren of China in Singapore. Gukesh holds the fifth position in the world rankings with a rating of 2783, just one spot below Erigaisi. Liren currently occupies the 22nd position with a rating of 2728.