I Performed Too Aggressively At Tata Metal... Was One Of Many Hardest Tournaments Of My Life'

After a barnstorming 2024, Arjun Erigaisi had a sobering begin to 2025 on the Tata Metal Chess event in Wijk Aan Zee. He ended the event by dropping 24 score factors within the span of the 21-day occasion within the Netherlands. Erigaisi’s woes have been most acute at first of the Tata Metal Chess event as he slumped to 4 defeats within the first seven rounds on the event. However then he stabilised his slide with 4 consecutive attracts earlier than defeating Nodirbek Abdusattarov and Gukesh within the ultimate two video games to play a decisive function in deciding the championship standings.

Each Abdusattarov and Gukesh have been within the race to win the championship. Erigaisi’s defeat of Gukesh pressured the world champion to battle towards Praggnanandhaa within the tiebreaks, the place he misplaced.

“It was one of many hardest tournaments of my life to this point. There’s at all times studying to be taken away from tournaments. Particularly in such tournaments like there are lots of (learnigns to be taken away). However the ones that I can reveal is that I used to be enjoying a bit too aggressively and taking an excessive amount of dangers. Really this I noticed like mid-event, like through the event itself. So within the second half of the event, I used to be attempting to play extra solidly and, and since then, it went higher,” Erigaisi tells The Indian Categorical.

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Arjun Erigaisi takes on Magnus Carlsen during their match at the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium at Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul.)

Arjun Erigaisi takes on Magnus Carlsen throughout their match on the Tata Metal Chess India Speedy & Blitz on the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium at Kolkata. (Categorical picture by Partha Paul.)

Arjun Erigaisi to play at Paris Freestyle occasion

Erigaisi says that his 2025 isn’t as stacked with occasions as far as his 2024 was. He was not too long ago picked up by esports workforce Gen.G for the upcoming Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh. He might be competing in Champions Chess Tour occasions to qualify for the bodily occasion in Saudi Arabia.

“I might be competing within the Paris version of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour later this yr,” reveals Erigaisi earlier than including: “I may even be enjoying at Norway Chess this tear. I’ll after all play the Grand Swiss and FIDE World Cup to try to qualify for the Candidates event. Aside from that, I don’t have an thought the place I’ll play. However I feel it is going to be the everyday World Speedy Blitz and perhaps World Speedy Blitz Group occasions this yr.”