Arjun Erigaisi: Not the best feeling to finish second on tiebreaks

Arjun Erigaisi has been one of the most consistent yet unfortunate Indian chess players in the active circuit. After winning the Sharjah Masters in March, the 20-year-old ran into some bad luck. 

Arjun’s loss to compatriot R. Praggnanandhaa in the World Cup quarterfinals denied him a straight Candidates spot. He then missed out on a podium finish at Hangzhou in the Asian Games in the individual round. He also failed the cut on felicitations in the 9th Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2023 after leading until the final round. 

Arjun’s loss was Vidit Gujrathi’s gain, as he went on to win the Gashimov tournament. The final nail in the coffin came when D. Gukesh beat Arjun on the tiebreak at the Chennai Grand Masters 2023 tournament to improve his qualification chances for the Candidates.

In an exclusive interaction with  Sportstar, Arjun speaks about his performance at the Chennai GM tournament, playing at home and his partnership with GM N. Srinath. 

Excerpts: 

 Q. Another tournament, another second-place finish for you. You finished joint-first with Gukesh but lost in tiebreaks. What are your feelings?

It’s not the best feeling to finish second on tiebreaks, but considering the start I had, I shouldn’t be too upset because I won the last two games to tie for first. Also, it’s funny that Gukesh and I tied for first place in the National Championship last year, where we both played equally well, and I had the better tiebreak and won… so it’s kind of even now. 

Q. You lost the first round against Pentala Harikrishna. Do you think that loss has ruined your chances and has come back to haunt you? 

Not really. By that way… there will be a lot of moments that I missed and shouldn’t have lost, especially against Harikrishna, out of the opening. I got a nice position. I was the one pushing with black, but I made an inaccuracy that changed the game’s momentum. And I should have won with (Levon) Aronian, but then I only won with Parham (Maghsoodloo) because he pushed too hard for it. He could have easily made the draw if he wanted it. And with (Alexandr) Predke, he could also have drawn the game at some point, if he wanted. So it’s all about taking chances.  

ALSO READ | Chennai Grand Masters 2023: Gukesh edges out Arjun to clinch the title, Harikrishna completes all-Indian podium

Q. You’ve won three matches, drawn three and lost one. Overall, are you satisfied with your performance in the tournament?

Given how I began this tournament, I believe I would be happy because after losing the first and especially the fifth rounds, I assumed, okay, I would not even finish in the top three or at best, I would tie for second or something, but then winning the last two games and finishing joint top, I would not mind.  

Q. You, Gukesh and Parham were fighting for a Candidates’ spot. Was it too much to handle the pressure of getting a qualification spot? 

Well, It can get a little too much at times. But when I feel like there is no longer a realistic chance, it’s easy to give up and forget about the goal and just play normally, but when I know there is a realistic chance, it’s tough not to think about it. 

Q. You played a fighting match against Sanan Sjugirov in the last round and converted the match from almost an equal position. Talk us through your last game. 

I was hoping to win this one. I started with white pieces and a Nimzo Indian. It was a complicated opening which required a lot of manoeuvring and prophylactic play. I believe I managed to play well and outplay him to get the points. 

Q. What has been your routine during the tournament? Do you go out for walks like Sanan and Predke, or do you like staying in your room?

Most chess players, including myself, have a routine for staying in their zone during tournaments. So, I did not go out much. I used to be in my room.

Q. How was it playing here in India? You all mostly play in Europe all year. Do you think expectations rise when you play at home, and how would you handle it?

Yeah, frankly, it never puts any mental strain on me. If at all anything, it only motivates me to do better, and it’s nice to see so many kids come out and watch the games. It was overall a very nice feeling. 

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Q. Did you enjoy playing here in Chennai one year after the Olympiads? 

It was great playing here. The tournament was very well organised, especially considering it was a last-minute plan and there were no drawbacks which I can think of. 

Q. Other players frequently regard your playing style as very dynamic. It appears that the transition between positional and theoretical play is very smooth for you, and you can also make a seamless transition between time-controlled play. How would you describe your play?

Yeah, regarding the style part, it does look like I’m a bit inclined towards dynamic, but I think I’m also capable of playing the quiet positions. I used to be a very technical player, but then I had to develop this dynamic style. I became more flexible. 

Regarding the Classical Rapid and Blitz formats… When I was younger, I used to spend a lot of time on chess.com playing online games. And I believe that playing those helped me improve my blitz skills. 

Q. Who has always been your biggest supporter from the chess fraternity? 

I must mention Srinath and Nihal (Sarin). When I was not so well known and wasn’t highly rated, these two kept telling me I was underrated and pushed me hard. 

Nihal has always been a good friend of mine. I was about 2550, and Nihal was 2620. And he used to tell me I belong to 2600s. They gave me a lot of self-confidence. Also, Srinath used to be my mentor for a very long time. 

Q. You separated from Srinath recently. What were the reasons for separation?

After a point, professionally, we felt that things were not working out. So we mutually decided to end it professionally. But we continued having a private relationship.