On December 30, 2025, two chess players made history: the legendary Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and the most complete Indian player, Arjun Erigaisi. At the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament, Carlsen won two gold medals, one in the rapid format and another in blitz. This marked Carlsen’s 20th World Championship title across formats, including five classical titles, six rapid gold medals, and nine blitz gold medals (one shared with Ian Nepomniachtchi last year).

Not to be outdone, Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi, the most complete chess player in the country, made his entry into the exclusive club of Indian chess, previously occupied solely by the legendary Viswanathan Anand. With his two bronze medals—one each in rapid and blitz formats—Arjun joined Carlsen as the only two players to win two medals at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament, 2025. This achievement also made Arjun the first Indian player since Viswanathan Anand to secure podium finishes in both the Open World Rapid and World Blitz Chess Championships. Anand had accomplished a similar feat in 2017, winning the World Rapid title and finishing third in the World Blitz event. Arjun’s dual medal performance highlights his consistency across formats and marks a significant milestone in Indian chess, making him only the second Indian after Anand to achieve this distinction.

This Khel Vaani piece digs deeper into the making of India’s most complete chess player of the generation and explains how and why Arjun, despite heartaches and heartbreaks over the past two years, remains the toast of Indian chess due to his extraordinary grit and determination.

In the recently concluded FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament, Arjun delivered stunning performances one after another. In the World Blitz Championship, Erigaisi topped the standings out of 252 players in the Open section. His form was so exceptional that he secured his semi-finals........

© News18