Arjun Erigaisi defeats chess legend Viswanathan Anand in the Jerusalem Masters

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi defeated five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand in the Jerusalem Masters final, winning the title through a blitz tie-break after drawing their initial rapid games. The 22-year-old secured victory with a 2.5-1.5 score, earning USD 55,000 in prize money.

Erigaisi won the first blitz tie-break match with white pieces and held a winning position in the second before agreeing to a draw, which was sufficient to claim the championship.



"It wasn't easy. There were a lot of challenges. My quality wasn't the best. I'm just glad I managed to make it through," Arjun told the organizers after his victory.

"Today, both the matches were very tense. In the first game against Anand sir we both missed our chances. But in blitz, I think I played quite well," he added.

"During the game, I was very worried. I knew I was winning and I knew I messed it. So, I was definitely worried. But okay, all I had to do was to fight back and that is what I was trying to do," Erigaisi said about losing control in Game 1 despite having white pieces.

Anand, who finished as runner-up, received USD 35,000 in prize money.

The tournament saw Arjun defeat Russian Grandmaster Peter Svidler in the semifinals, while Anand overcame reigning World Blitz champion Ian Nepomniachtchi.

In the third-place playoff, Svidler defeated his compatriot Nepomniachtchi 2.5-1.5.

The Jerusalem Masters is structured as a closed invitational tournament featuring 12 players in a round-robin format, with the top four progressing to the playoffs.

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