Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen continued his dominance at the Tata Steel Chess India (TSCI) Rapid & Blitz tournament, winning the Blitz title in the Open category on Sunday in Kolkata. Carlsen, who had already secured the Rapid crown, was joined in the spotlight by Russian grandmaster Kateryna Lagno, who claimed the Women’s Blitz title.
Carlsen topped the Blitz standings with 13 points, while USA’s Wesley So finished as runner-up with 11.5 points. Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi secured third place with 10.5 points after 18 rounds of play.
The final day of this year’s TSCI Rapid & Blitz began with the world number one from Norway leading the Open category standings with 6.5 points, closely followed by India’s R. Praggnanandhaa at 6 points. As the day unfolded, Erigaisi, who had finished third in the Rapid event, made a strong push by taking the lead after the 15th round.
However, in the last three rounds, Carlsen demonstrated his exceptional skills, including a decisive victory over Erigaisi in the 17th round, to seal the Blitz title and complete a double triumph in the tournament.
He thanked the passionate crowd, who gave him a rousing ovation at Kolkata’s Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium as Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand presented him with the Blitz trophy. “Chess in India is growing rapidly, and the support we’ve received here reflects that,” he said.
Tournament ambassador Viswanathan Anand hands over the trophy to champion Magnus Carlsen at Tata Steel Chess Rapid and Blitz format in Kolkata | Salil Bera
Despite Carlsen’s victory, the day also belonged to Wesley So, who delivered a remarkable comeback. Starting the day in seventh place with just 3.5 points, So won eight of his nine matches, including six consecutive wins in the final rounds, to secure the runner-up position.
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Earlier in the Rapid event, So had narrowly missed the runner-up spot to Praggnanandhaa on a tie-break score. The 19-year-old Indian finished fourth in Blitz.
In the Women's category, three-time world champion Kateryna Lagno emerged victorious with 11.5 points. Fellow Russian grandmaster Valentina Gunina scored 11 points to finish as runner-up. Following them were Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina and India’s Vantika Agrawal with 9.5 points each.
Tournament ambassador Viswanathan Anand praised the winners and hailed the TSCI Rapid & Blitz as one of India’s premier chess tournaments. He also commended Indian players, saying, “Praggnanandhaa and Vantika Agrawal performed exceptionally well throughout the competition.”
