Magnus Carlsen’s dominance in the Tata Steel Chess India tournament continued as he emerged victorious in the blitz section, completing a sweep of the event. Despite a setback against Arjun Erigaisi on Saturday, Carlsen rallied to secure the title with 13 points.
The second day of blitz witnessed intense competition, with Wesley So winning six of the last eight games to finish with 11.5 points. However, Carlsen’s half-point lead from the first half proved crucial, allowing him to withstand So’s late surge.
Erigaisi had an opportunity to overtake Carlsen but faltered in the final rounds, losing three consecutive games. This paved the way for Carlsen to seal the title, despite a series of draws against R Praggnanandhaa, So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vincent Keymer, and Nihal Sarin.
“It was a really, really nervy day,” Carlsen admitted after the win. “I was lucky that Wesley was the one who went on a big streak because he couldn’t realistically catch me.”
Viswanathan Anand, a former world champion, noted that Carlsen’s dominance was not as pronounced as expected. “He dominated the rapid even more than blitz,” Anand said. “Full credit to Arjun who really pushed him yesterday.”
Among the Indians, Erigaisi’s performance was particularly impressive. “He was the most stable throughout,” Anand said. “In terms of actually fighting for first place, Arjun was closer than Prag.”
In the women’s section, three-time world blitz champion Kateryna Lagno emerged victorious with 11.5 points. Valentina Gunina finished second with 11 points, while Aleksandra Goryachkina took third with 9.5 points.
