NEW DELHI: Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi is set to navigate formidable obstacles as he begins his campaign at the prestigious World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship. With aspirations of becoming the first Indian to qualify for the 2026 Candidates' Tournament, Erigaisi trails American Fabiano Caruana in the qualification race. To stay in contention, Erigaisi will need a stellar performance in the tournament.
The last Indian to claim the title was Koneru Humpy in 2019, following Viswanathan Anand's stunning victory in 2017.