At the World Blitz FIDE championship held in Doha, India’s Arjun Erigaisi excelled. He overpowered the current World Blitz champion, Magnus Carlsen, and rose as a joint leader after 11 rounds. Erigaisi showed acuity and effective endgame skills during the event. In Round 9, playing with the black pieces, he shocked Carlsen. He then went on to win the next round, Round 10, against Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Magnus Carlsen’s Reaction Goes Viral
The loss caused visible anger on the part of Carlsen. His reaction immediately went viral and added to his past instances of emotional responses following defeats.
Oops!…He Did It Again#RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/O5N5CWoO2f
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 29, 2025
Arjun Erigaisi Shines Worldwide
The 22-year-old Indian Grandmaster reached 9 points, registering eight wins, two draws, and one loss. He is now level with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France.
The form Erigaisi has adopted highlights his growing presence on the world stage. This year, he has defeated Carlsen in both blitz and classical formats. The semifinalists will be decided in the final rounds. India, meanwhile, continues to assert its strength in global chess, with Erigaisi making a strong statement.
