Arjun Erigaisi: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Arjun Kumar Erigaisi (born 3 September 2003) is an Indian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he earned the title of grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 13 days. In September 2024 he became India's top rated player, and in December 2024 he achieved his peak rating of 2801 which makes him the fifteenth-highest rated player in history and second Indian ever to cross the 2800 threshold after Viswanathan Anand. Arjun won the double bronze medal at the Fide World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025, becoming the first Indian player to register podium finishes at both events since Viswanathan Anand won the Rapid section and finished third in Blitz back in 2017. He has sometimes been described as a 'madman' over the board for his bold and unpredictable style.