4 min learnFeb 14, 2026 06:00 AM IST
Lower than two months after Magnus Carlsen had gone viral once more for smashing his fist on the desk on the FIDE World Speedy and Blitz Championship for dropping to Arjun Erigaisi, the world no 1 misplaced to the Indian once more: this time in a classification recreation on the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus on Friday.
Whereas Arjun Erigaisi didn’t make it to the semi-finals of the Freestyle World Championships 2026, he had one of many wildest days within the qualification rounds the place he remained the one participant to not have a single draw within the seven rounds that had been performed on Friday to find out the 4 semi-finalists. Arjun took down the highest two finishers within the league stage — Carlsen and Vincent Keymer — moreover additionally defeating Javokhir Sindarov. He misplaced the remaining 4 video games to finish in sixth place. Carlsen, Keymer, Fabiano Caruana and Nodirbek Abdusattorov certified for the semi-finals.
The win over Carlsen, who has confirmed to be an unstoppable power in freestyle chess over the previous two years, was significantly candy for Arjun as a result of the Norwegian misplaced only one recreation (which was the defeat to Arjun) on his technique to claiming high spot after the spherical robin leg, ending with 4.5 factors out of seven video games. Carlsen and Arjun clashed within the sixth spherical of the occasion, by which era, Carlsen’s semi-final spot was already safe whereas Arjun was scrambling to make the minimize.
Within the pre recreation evaluation, Arjun was the one participant out of the eight to not be part of the desk for gamers taking part in with white, whereas Carlsen was doing loads of speaking on the desk with gamers who had black items. A few instances, Carlsen was overheard telling the opposite three gamers that the place didn’t look so harmful to him.
However as soon as the sport began, he was confirmed flawed within the matter of minutes. Carlsen had famously nicknamed Arjun because the “mad man” of chess in an interview with The Indian Specific. And on Friday, Arjun confirmed why.
The sport, performed in place no 277 that sees each bishops stationed like troublemakers within the nook of the board on kingside, noticed Arjun power Carlsen in a spot of trouble from as early because the second transfer, with Carlsen trailing behind on the clock early. And regardless of becoming a member of the trio of Keymer, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Hans Niemann to debate opening methods with white items, Arjun performed precisely the identical opening strikes that the opposite three gamers mentioned at size with white items.
INTERACTIVE: How Arjun Erigaisi defeated Magnus Carlsen
By the seventh transfer, the engine was already liking Arjun’s possibilities rather more than it favoured Carlsen.
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“It is a place that you just don’t even need to get in your nightmares,” chess legend Judit Polgar stated on the official broadcast on YouTube as Arjun’s benefit over Carlsen began changing into important. “These are the positions that you just need to make a superb transfer after which resign since you don’t need to undergo longer.”
“You gained’t even want it upon your greatest enemy,” added Peter Leko. “It is a horror.”
File picture of Arjun Erigaisi taking over Magnus Carlsen. (Specific picture by Partha Paul)
What was additionally outstanding, was that until the tenth transfer, Arjun didn’t transfer any of his items on the again rank, as an alternative preferring to maneuver his pawns in direction of Carlsen’s military.
“I discover it attention-grabbing that Arjun has not moved some other piece aside from his pawns. It’s like a pawn conflict,” remarked Polgar.
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Ultimately, when Arjun began pushing his different items into the motion, it didn’t take lengthy for him to grab management of the sport.
Carlsen resigned in simply 28 strikes.
In tomorrow’s semi-finals, Carlsen will play for a spot within the remaining, whereas Arjun performs classification matches.