TePe Sigeman & Co. 2026 — Arjun Erigaisi leads before final round, Magnus Carlsen joint-second

Arjun Erigaisi took the lead in the penultimate round of the Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2026, as he beat Zhu Jiner in Malmo on Wednesday.

Jiner had a tricky defence, but Erigaisi sealed his victory in the endgame after 67 moves. With four-and-a-half points, Erigaisi leads the table after six rounds, followed by Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Magnus Carlsen, who are joint-second with four points.

Erigaisi is among the only two players to remain unbeaten throughout the tournament, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov being the other player to do so.

Carlsen chose the King’s Indian against Andy Woodward, which led to double-edged play and ultimately saw the Norwegian secure his victory. He will go up against Erdogmus with white pieces in what will be a must-win game for both of them and their first classical meeting.

Erigaisi will face Woodward in the final round with the title up for grabs for the Indian grandmaster.

Jorden Van Foreest, who had beaten Carlsen earlier in the tournament, was knocked out of the title race after a draw with Nils Grandelius.

Published on May 07, 2026