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Arjun Erigaisi is an Indian chess grandmaster. He was born in Telangana, where he attended the Shine High School. He is the 5th grandmaster from Telugu states and 54th overall from India.
Arjun earned the title of grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 13 days which makes him the 32nd youngest person ever to achieve the title of grandmaster. He became a grandmaster in August 2018.
Chess career
When Arjun achieved his target in double the time he planned, he declared: “I am very happy to achieve the GM norm. When I started the year, my target was to achieve both IM and GM norms. However, I didn’t expect to achieve both in such a short span”
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Take the IQ test →After his title was won Arjun stated that he intended to earn as many points as possible. In order to achieve this, he played in Armenia, Serbia, Hungary and Switzerland tournaments. Erigaisi didn’t show his best in Armenia but compensated by performing well in Serbia,where Arjun achieved his second GM norm.
Erigaisi was more confident in achieving his third norm when he played in Hungary. In spite of his confidence, Arjun lost a crucial match. The same happened again during a tournament in Switzerland. He finally managed to qualify for the title in Abu Dhabi.
Arjun dedicated this achievement to his coach (Victor Michaelosky ) and family: “My family and my coach played a key role in my success. My coach is the one who motivates me along with my parents,” he said. Arjun trains online with Michaelosky with whom he plays twice or thrice a day.
Arjun honest words about the origins of his genius are a direct indication regarding the causes of it.
During his career as a chess player Erigaisi also won a silver medal in the 2015 Asian Youth Championship which took place in Korea.
On training
When asked about how he prepares to face strong opponents, who have more experience and are older than him, Erigaisi said, “My coach says age is just a number and advised me not to fear anyone. That’s how I prepare. There are many youngsters who are better ranked than me and there are many senior players who have low rating points than me. So it is the game that matters,” he stated.
According to Arjun, players can learn a lot by playing online thanks to the available technology. There is a lot of software to master. The best part is that he can train with anyone sitting at home. He admires young players such as Nihal Sarin and claims that he had learned much from them.
Top questions
What is Arjun Erigaisi's chess rating?
Erigaisi reached a peak live FIDE rating of 2801 to 2802 in October and December 2024, making him only the second Indian player after Viswanathan Anand to cross 2800. As of the most recent published ratings, he stands at 2759 classical, 2745 rapid and 2766 blitz, ranking him ninth in the world on the classical list.
How young was Arjun Erigaisi when he became a grandmaster?
Erigaisi completed all three norms required for the Grandmaster title between May and August 2018, becoming a grandmaster at fourteen years and roughly eleven months old. That makes him one of the youngest players in history to reach the title. He learned the game at the BS Chess Academy in Hanamkonda under coach Bollam Sampath.
Why is Arjun Erigaisi called a madman of chess?
Opponents tend to reach for the word madman because of his bold and unpredictable style. Grandmasters with twice his experience have found themselves unable to calculate their way out of positions he seems to invent on the spot. He is willing to play sharp, objectively risky positions that most elite grandmasters avoid.
What medals has Arjun Erigaisi won?
At the 2024 Chess Olympiad Erigaisi won individual gold with a dominant 10 out of 11 on board three, and he also secured team gold at the 45th Olympiad. In December 2025 he took bronze medals at both the FIDE World Rapid Championship and the World Blitz Championship in the same year.
What tournaments has Arjun Erigaisi won?
In 2022 Erigaisi won the Indian National Championship, the Delhi Open, the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival and the Junior Speed Chess Championship, gaining more than 100 rating points that year. He won the Sharjah Masters outright in 2023, and in 2025 he won three consecutive Chess.com Freestyle Friday events, a first for an Indian player.
Why is Arjun Erigaisi considered a genius?
His genius is described as domain-specific: a refined, trained skill built on pattern recognition, fast calculation and positional intuition. Crossing 2800 as only the second Indian ever, plus podium finishes at both the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in one season, backs this up. Nothing suggests unusual gifts outside chess, so his genius is best described as an unusually bold, fast-calculating chess mind.
Is Arjun Erigaisi still playing chess?
Yes. As of 2025, Erigaisi is in his early twenties and actively competing at the top of world chess. He is a fixture of elite tournaments and a genuine threat to established world-title contenders in both classical and speed formats. He belongs to a wave of Indian players that includes Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R and Nihal Sarin.
