Chess history was made on Friday when Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi surpassed the prestigious 2800 Elo rating with his victory at the ongoing 39th European Chess Club Cup. At just 21 years old, Erigaisi becomes only the second Indian, following the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to achieve this milestone.
Erigaisi reached this remarkable feat after defeating Russian Grandmaster Dmitry Andreikin with the White pieces in Round 5 of the European Chess Club Cup. With this win, he also ascended to the world No. 3 ranking in real-time live chess ratings, currently boasting 2802.1 points.
Arjun Erigaisi has become the 16th player in the world to cross the 2800 Elo mark in live ratings. The chess prodigy from Warangal was sitting at 2798 points before his match against Dmitry Andreikin.
Must Read: All-Round India Women Dominate New Zealand With 59-Run Win In 1st ODI
Erigaisi had a chance to reach the 2800 milestone on Thursday, following three consecutive wins in the 2024 European Chess Club Cup. However, a draw against Serbian Grandmaster Alexandr Predke in Round 4 delayed the achievement. Despite the setback, the Indian chess sensation reached the milestone on Friday, becoming the third-youngest player in history to do so.
India’s 18-year-old chess prodigy, D Gukesh, is also on the verge of crossing the 2800 Elo mark. He currently holds a rating of 2788.5 points, despite suffering a rare loss in a classical game to Dmitry Andreikin in Round 4 of the 2024 European Chess Club Cup on Thursday.
Also Read: R Ashwin Surpasses Nathan Lyon To Become 7th Highest Wicket-Taker In Test Cricket