Magnus Carlsen had famously called Arjun a 'mad man on the chess board'; Carlsen’s king was made to jog around from one square to another for survival in a way that Carlsen’s kings are not used to bei

Kolkata: The Tata Steel Chess tournament has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for Arjun Erigaisi, the latest entrant to the 2800-rating club. Barely two days earlier, Magnus Carlsen had picked his game against the Indian as the one he enjoyed the most in the rapid round even though defeat was inflicted in just 40 moves.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and three-time world women's blitz champion Kateryna Lagno emerged as the leaders at the halfway mark of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz 2024, being held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium here. Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible nine.

Arjun Erigaisi was leading with three rounds to go but then suffered three consecutive defeats including against Carlsen in the blitz

Magnus Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible 9. The Norwegian maestro had a dominant start, but his momentum was halted in round eight by Arjun Erigaisi,

Just days after securing the rapid title, the Norwegian maestro produced a stunning performance, including a dramatic turnaround against Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round, to reach an unassailable 12 points and seal the title.

Magnus Carlsen, despite suffering his first defeat against Arjun Erigaisi, finished Day One of the Tata Steel India Open Blitz tournament atop the leaderboard. Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi remain in contention.