World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen once again proved why he is considered one of the greatest ever, clinching a record ninth World Blitz Championship title on Tuesday. Adding to his golden run, the Norwegian had already won the World Rapid gold medal just two days earlier. Meanwhile, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi finished with a bronze medal after a dramatic semifinal exit.
In the final, Carlsen faced young Uzbek star Nodirbek Abdusattorov. After the first three games, both players were locked at 1.5 points each. In the fourth game, Carlsen rejected a draw and surprised everyone with an unexpected pawn move in the endgame, sealing a 2.5–1.5 victory and extending his dominance in blitz chess.
The title was especially satisfying for Magnus Carlsen after a tough qualifying phase. He struggled in the Swiss rounds and only just made it into the knockout semifinals. A draw against Abdusattorov in Round 19 ensured Carlsen finished with 13.5 points, while the Uzbek reached 13 points. Both qualified for the semifinals behind Arjun Erigaisi, who topped the standings with 15 points, and Fabiano Caruana, who had 14.
In the semifinals, Carlsen beat Caruana 3-1 to reach the final. On the other board, Abdusattorov delivered a crushing 2.5–0.5 defeat to Erigaisi, ending the Indian’s hopes of reaching the title match.
Despite the setback, Erigaisi’s performance stood out. The 22-year-old finished with bronze, adding to the bronze medal he had already won in the Rapid event on Sunday. With these results, Erigaisi became only the second Indian male player after Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal in the Open category.
Earlier in the tournament, Erigaisi had been in sensational form. He stunned top players, including Carlsen and Abdusattorov, to become the sole leader with 10 points from 13 games. On the final day of the Swiss rounds, he showed great composure, winning four games and drawing two to finish with 15 points and secure a semifinal spot.
Erigaisi was paired against Abdusattorov in the semifinals, a matchup many expected the Indian to dominate given his earlier win over the Uzbek. However, momentum shifted quickly. Erigaisi failed to convert an advantage with white in the first game and lost after 47 moves. Abdusattorov then took full control in the second game, sealing it in 83 moves after a key Rc5 move on the 75th.
Needing just half a point to qualify for the final, Abdusattorov settled for a quick draw in the third game, making the fourth game irrelevant and ending Erigaisi’s title hopes.
While Magnus Carlsen walked away with yet another crown, Erigaisi’s two bronze medals across Rapid and Blitz marked a major milestone for Indian chess and underlined his rise on the world stage.
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