Arjun Erigaisi finds himself respiration rarefied air. On Friday, he scaled Mount 2800 within the reside rankings and put himself in rivalry to remain there when FIDE publishes its official rankings listing on the finish of this month.
The present membership of the membership stands at 14, with Anish Giri solely having a brief guests’ move to the membership since he entered it in reside rankings (that are up to date in actual time) however was out by the point the month-to-month rankings listing was printed by FIDE.
Simply how spectacular Arjun Erigaisi’s feat is might be gauged by the instant reactions to him touching 2800.
“(Arjun is) Like a bullet gaining 60 factors this 12 months!” Viswanathan Anand exclaimed on X referring to Arjun’s speedy rise from being 2738 in January this 12 months.
We break down the importance of Arjun Erigaisi touching 2800 score factors:
What’s the massive deal about reaching a 2800 score?
The 2800 score membership is an elusive membership in chess. Solely 16 males, together with Arjun Erigaisi, have entered it. Solely 14 have been in it when the month-to-month printed rankings had been formally launched by FIDE. Arjun thus may grow to be solely the fifteenth participant to stay within the 2800 membership within the printed rankings listing. We now have extra world chess champions — 17 — than 2800-club members. It should be famous that FIDE, the worldwide governing physique of chess, solely adopted official rankings in 1970.
Arjun Erigaisi is barely the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to the touch 2800. Srinath Narayanan who has been Arjun’s coach and mentor known as reaching 2800 “a bit like crossing the ten,000 runs milestone in cricket” (which, for the document, solely 14 batters have finished in Exams).
Arjun Erigaisi throughout an Specific Adda earleir this 12 months at Chennai. (Specific picture)
Are there world champions who’ve by no means reached 2800?
The 2800 membership has 5 world champions: Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Ding Liren. Gamers just like the legendary Bobby Fischer solely touched a peak score of 2785. He may have damaged into the 2800 membership as properly had he not ended his profession prematurely.
Is there something that stands out about Arjun Erigaisi reaching 2800?
Sure, between 2019 and 2024, just one recent participant was added to the 2800 membership. This was when Alireza Firouzja acquired there in December 2021.
Arjun Erigaisi is the second youngest participant to interrupt into the 2800 membership, with solely Firouzja at 18 being youthful.
What can also be exceptional about Arjun Erigaisi’s feat is {that a} 12 months again, in October 2023, his score was 2712. In a 12 months’s time, he’s added almost 100 score factors whereas enjoying in open tournaments — the place there are a number of gamers of various score strengths relatively than closed invitational occasions the place elite gamers are invited. At open tournaments, even a draw with a decrease rated participant may ship the rankings plummeting. However at closed invitational occasions, even a defeat will solely price a drop of some factors.
What does reaching 2800 score imply for Arjun Erigaisi?
For one, it is going to result in many extra invites to occasions.
“Since he began doing properly in these open tournaments this 12 months, enquiries for Arjun’s availability have been coming in regularly. Should you have a look at the elite invitational occasions this 12 months, he was solely invited for the Grand Chess Tour’s Poland Fast & Blitz occasion and WR Chess Masters. Other than that, he had no invitations. Nothing from Tata Metal (in Wijk aan Zee), nothing from Prague Chess, nothing from Norway Chess. However this 12 months, we have now enquiries from everybody,” Sreekar Chennapragada, the co-founder of chess administration agency MGD1 and Arjun Erigaisi’s supervisor informed The Indian Specific.
What has led to Arjun Erigaisi reaching 2800?
For Arjun Erigaisi, this score peak is available in a 12 months that began off with loads of frustration after he missed out on qualifying for the Candidates match. That miss led to a change in his mindset.
“I’ve been attempting to not care an excessive amount of (about such issues like world rankings and rankings). In order that’s been serving to me. It’s a aware choice to not care an excessive amount of about outcomes,” Arjun had informed The Indian Specific in June this 12 months after turning into World No 4. “Final 12 months, I desperately cared about qualifying for the Candidates. Due to this, my nerves saved failing me at crucial moments.”
This 12 months, after adopting this new method, he has performed in each attainable sport and match. On the Chess Olympiad, he was the one participant to play all 11 video games despite the fact that India had sufficient depth to relaxation him.
“Arjun usually has sure objectives he units for himself like qualifying for the Candidates and being a world champion. Reaching 2800 was additionally a type of. That’s the place his starvation comes from,” says Srinath.
Srinath factors out that the majority gamers hit a psychological ceiling after enjoying the game constantly 12 months after 12 months. However not Gukesh and Arjun.
“He has unimaginable motivation. Arjun has glorious power ranges, the place he and Gukesh have set new requirements over the previous couple of years. How a lot chess they’ve been capable of play whereas nonetheless sustaining high quality. That’s what separates Arjun.”