World Blitz: Magnus Carlsen clinches record ninth title; Arjun Erigaisi wins bronze

NEW DELHI: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen erstwhile again showcased his endgame brilliance, clinching a record-extending ninth World Blitz rubric to spell with the Rapid golden medal helium won 2 days earlier. However, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi endured a melodramatic illness successful the semifinals and had to settee for a bronze medal astatine the World Blitz Championship connected Tuesday.In the rubric lucifer against young Uzbek GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Carlsen turned down a gully and produced a stunning, unexpected pawn determination successful the 4th crippled to seal a 2.5–1.5 victory, further cementing his dominance successful blitz chess.

After the archetypal 3 games, some the players were tied astatine 1.5 points each. The triumph was each the much saccharine and fulfilling for the Norwegian aft a drawstring of losses successful the qualifying (Swiss round) wherever helium virtually struggled to unafraid a spot successful the knockout semifinals.

A gully successful Round 19 against Abdusattorov saw some Carlsen (13.5 points) and the Uzbek (13 points) unafraid the past 2 slots successful the semifinals connected Tuesday down sole person Erigaisi (15 points) and American GM Fabiano Caruana (14 points).Carlsen past went connected to bushed Caruana 3-1 to unafraid a spot successful the final, portion an impeccable Abdusattorov inflicted a shattering 2.5-0.5 semifinal decision connected Erigaisi, arsenic the Indian settled for a 2nd bronze, aft taking the third-podium spot successful Rapid connected Sunday.

Nonetheless, the 2 bronze medals is simply a singular accomplishment for the 22-year-old Erigaisi, who volition instrumentality location much resolute.The accomplishment besides made Erigaisi lone the 2nd Indian antheral subordinate aft the legendary Viswanathan Anand to triumph a World Blitz medal successful the 'Open category'.

Earlier, Erigaisi, aft stunning the likes of Carlsen and Abdusattorov to look sole person with 10 points from 13 games, went done the remaining six rounds connected Tuesday with steely resolve.He won 4 and drew 2 to stay sole person with 15 points to unafraid a spot successful the semifinals.The Indian was drawn against 2021 World Rapid champion Abdusattorov, who secured a spot successful the last-four by the tegument of the teeth, nudging Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to 5th spot connected 'best tie-break' regularisation aft some the Grandmasters had ended connected 13 points each.With Erigaisi successful stunning signifier and having the vantage of beating Abdusattorov connected Monday, the Indian was expected to spell afloat steam.But things took a antithetic and hard crook for Erigaisi. He could not person the vantage with achromatic successful the opening game, losing successful 47 moves to beryllium 0-1 down.A resurgent Abdusattorov turned things decisively his mode successful the 2nd crippled by playing Rc5' connected the 75th determination and finishing the crippled successful 83 moves.With the Uzbek needing lone half-a-point to seal his spot successful the final, Abdusattorov settled for a speedy gully with achromatic pieces aft conscionable 33 moves contempt being successful a winning position, rendering the 4th crippled redundant.(With inputs from PTI)