Players
Arjun Erigaisi
Photo: Brigham Aldrich
GM

Arjun Erigaisi

IndiaBorn 2003 (age 23)FIDE ID 35009192

Playing now: Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026

Luft classical

260027002800290030002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2745
FIDE

FIDE classical

150020002500300020122015201820212024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2746
Luft

Flair

Arjun Erigaisi's classical flairs

4 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Lightning#2 at speed chess (blitz 2798, rapid 2804)
  • PodiumTop 3 in 3/4 elite events
  • Black Belt20/33 with black (61%), against 55% with white
  • Ironman64 classical games over the last 12 months
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • UnderdogRegularly beats players rated 50+ higher
  • Fortress25+ games in a row without a loss
  • RisingAged 18 or under, Luft rating up 40+ over the last 12 months
  • Endgame SpecialistEndgame 90+: converting, saving and not throwing endgames
  • TacticianTactics 90+: sharp, tactical games they made sharp
  • Hot StreakAt least 6 points from 7 straight games against strong opposition
  • SignatureSticks to one defence with black far more than most
  • ChameleonPlays a wide range of defences with black
  • WildcardBrilliant one event, off the next: hard to predict
  • ReliableConsistent across all top events
  • FighterRarely draws, and wins far more than they lose
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • Lightning
  • Podium
  • Black Belt

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 89Positional 85Endgame 85Openings 87Composure 87Defence 91Speed 95Consistency 93

Luft classical rating

2745No. 16

From 64 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2738 level, with 1 win against the top 10.

ResultsPlayed at a 2738 level, blended with their FIDE rating−5
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−1
Activity64 classical games in top events+8

Openings

Their most-played, from 208 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined1659%
Ruy Lopez1560%
Sicilian Defense1060%
English Opening972%
Nimzo-Indian Defense771%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 16 games, won 5, drew 9, lost 2 · 59%

VariationGamesScore
Three Knights Variation463%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense383%
Ragozin Defense350%
Exchange Variation250%
Barmen Variation250%
Orthodox Defense150%
Main line150%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 15 games, won 3, drew 12, lost 0 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense560%
Closed560%
Open Berlin Defense250%
Open1100%
Morphy Defense150%
Classical Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 10 games, won 4, drew 4, lost 2 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation450%
Dragon Variation2100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation1100%
Taimanov Variation150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%
Alapin Variation10%

English Opening

With White: 9 games, won 5, drew 3, lost 1 · 72%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation463%
Symmetrical Variation275%
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
Neo-Catalan1100%
Agincourt Defense150%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With White: 7 games, won 3, drew 4, lost 0 · 71%

VariationGamesScore
Kmoch Variation367%
Classical Variation275%
Romanishin Variation275%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 17 games, won 5, drew 10, lost 2 · 59%

VariationGamesScore
Taimanov Variation367%
Moscow Variation367%
Four Knights Variation350%
Delayed Alapin Variation333%
Accelerated Dragon1100%
Kramnik Variation1100%
Najdorf Variation1100%
Pin Variation150%
Dragon Variation10%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 11 games, won 3, drew 6, lost 2 · 55%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense383%
Closed333%
Classical Variation250%
Marshall Attack150%
Open150%
Cozio Defense150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 8 games, won 1, drew 5, lost 2 · 44%

VariationGamesScore
Charousek Variation463%
Modern Variation225%
Harrwitz Attack150%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense10%

English Opening

With Black: 8 games, won 1, drew 4, lost 3 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation333%
Symmetrical Variation225%
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
Agincourt Defense150%
Adorjan Defense10%

French Defense

With Black: 7 games, won 4, drew 2, lost 1 · 71%

VariationGamesScore
Steinitz Variation275%
Classical Variation250%
Advance Variation1100%
Hecht-Reefschläger Variation1100%
Tarrasch Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 202612 Nov 20262/4−7−7
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20265/70−1
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20265½/10−13−11
Chennai Grand Masters 202622 Jul 2026=2nd+2+1
3rd UzChess Cup 202615 Jun 2026=3rd−4−3

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMGukesh D.27 May 2025 · Norway Chess 20252787
GMF. Caruana3 Jun 2025 · Norway Chess 20252777
GMN. Abdusattorov1 Feb 2025 · Tata Steel Chess 20252766
GMPraggnanandhaa R.17 Jan 2026 · Tata Steel Chess 20262758
GMV. Keymer23 Oct 2025 · European Chess Club Cup 20252755

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMGukesh D.Last 20 Jul 2026 · Chennai Grand Masters 202610442
GMN. AbdusattorovLast 17 Jul 2026 · Chennai Grand Masters 20269162
GMV. KeymerLast 28 Jan 2026 · Tata Steel Chess 20267151
GMJ. van ForeestLast 20 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20266141
GMP. MaghsoodlooLast 9 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20255041

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How attributes are calculated

From their games in top events over the last 12 months, each judged against the opponent's rating

  • TacticsHow well they score in sharp games they chose to make sharp.
  • PositionalHow well they score in quiet, manoeuvring games they steered.
  • EndgameHow they do in endgames against what the position promised when it began: converting a winning one earns a little, saving a losing one earns a lot, and throwing a winning one costs a lot.
  • OpeningsThe engine's verdict on their position around moves 15 to 20, against what's normal for that colour, as the score it points to. Over the last 4 years, with older games counting less.
  • ComposureHow well they score under pressure: the game straight after a loss, and the last 3 games of an event while they can still win it. Over the last 4 years.
  • DefenceHow they do in games where they were 0.8 pawns or more worse after move 18, against what that position usually scores: holding the draw earns, turning it around earns more, and losing costs a little.
  • SpeedTheir Luft rapid and blitz ratings. With neither, an estimate a little below their classical level.
  • ConsistencyTheir Luft rating, less their off days: tournaments (5+ games each) over the last 4 years where they played 50+ below it. Anything better never counts against them.

  • "How well they score" is a performance rating: the opponent's rating, plus 400 for a win and minus 400 for a loss, averaged. So it's always judged against who they played.

    The score out of 100: 80 is a 2600 level, and each 13 rating points adds one, so 2860 and up is 100.

    Fair to everyone: with only a few games of a kind, the result leans towards their overall Luft rating. Strengths and weaknesses are measured against their overall level and compared with the top 100, so a specialist's best side stands out. A little recent form is added to all but Speed.