India’s top players, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi, fell short of knockout qualification in the World Blitz Championship 2024 open category.
India had a really bad run in the World Blitz Championship 2024, Open category, as none of the players in the open category qualified for the knockouts on Monday night in New York. India’s top players like R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi had a poor run, ultimately failing to get into the top 8. Both of them displayed promising performances earlier, but they couldn’t maintain the momentum needed to advance to the knockout stages. They both faced tough challenges and crucial defeats that hampered their progress. Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi finished on top, while Magnus Carlsen placed himself into the second position. From the Women’s category, India’s R Vaishali qualified for the knockouts. She finished the 11 rounds unbeaten topping the table. She’s the only Indian who’s going to play the knockouts overall.
Pragg’s hopes dashed in the last round, Arjun’s late woes
Praggnanandhaa’s run in the World Blitz Championship 2024 came to an unfortunate end when he lost to Daniil Dubov. He blundered during a crucial moment, and Dubov capitalised on it to secure a victory. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi experienced a challenging finish in the championship. Despite a strong start, he lost to Daniel Lazavik, which knocked him out of the race for the knockouts. Arjun’s defeat against Anish Giri earlier had already put him on shaky ground, and this final loss sealed his fate. He faced some tough opponents and couldn’t find the breakthrough he needed in the final rounds. along with losing, Arjun also fails to qualify for the 2026 candidates.
Cautious play at the top
In the top boards of the Open category, the leading players chose a cautious approach by opting for quickdraws. This strategy ensured they maintained their spots with 9.5 points each, leading to an intense eight-way tie at the top. The level of competition was extremely high, with each player trying to secure their position as the championship drew to a close.
Indian contingent’s overall performance
Before the final rounds, Praggnanandhaa was in the 13th spot with 8.5 points, and Arjun Erigaisi stood 23rd with 7 points. Raunak Sadhwani and Aravindh Chithambaram also competed but couldn’t climb higher in the standings.
| Rank | Player | Rating | Points/Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 2716 | 8.5/13 |
| 35 | GM Raunak Sadhwani | 2663 | 8/13 |
| 64 | GM Arjun Erigaisi | 2749 | 7/13 |
| 68 | GM Aravindh Chithambaram | 2618 | 7/13 |
| 67 | GM V Pranav | 2572 | 7/13 |
| 121 | GM Harsha Bharathakoti | 2527 | 6/13 |
| 131 | GM Diptayan Ghosh | 2552 | 5.5/13 |
| 65 | GM Sam Shankland | 2657 | 7/13 |
| 136 | GM Chanda Sandipan | 2441 | 5.5/13 |
| 130 | GM Raja Harshit | 2451 | 5.5/13 |
Players qualified for World Blitz Championship 2024, Open Category Knockouts
| Rank | Player | Country | Rating | Points/Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Ian Nepomniachtchi | Russia | 2770 | 9.5/13 |
| 2 | GM Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2890 | 9.5/13 |
| 3 | GM Fabiano Caruana | USA | 2796 | 9.5/13 |
| 4 | GM Wesley So | USA | 2803 | 9.5/13 |
| 5 | GM Alireza Firouzja | France | 2871 | 9.5/13 |
| 6 | GM Hans Moke Niemann | USA | 2709 | 9.5/13 |
| 7 | GM Daniil Dubov | Russia | 2784 | 9.5/13 |
| 8 | GM Volodar Murzin | Russia | 2629 | 9.5/13 |
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