Erigaisi Joins the 2800 Club

21-year-old Arjun Erigaisi is knocking on the door of the chess elite! Currently competing in a strong closed tournament in Chennai, Erigaisi scored a win in the first round against Vidit, pushing his rating back above 2800. Though he faced difficulties in the game, Erigaisi defended skillfully and took the full point when Vidit overextended.

Unlike Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi hasn’t received invitations to top tournaments, earning his rating through the challenging path of open tournaments—a remarkable feat, especially in a time where rating deflation seems to be a confirmed trend.

Here is the latest list from 2700chess, a site that tracks players with ratings above 2700.

You can see the game below, where Vidit blunders on move 87 by capturing the pawn on e5. The finish is very instructive.