Arjun Erigaisi reaches 2800 rating mark: Explaining significance of 21-year-old crossing elusive milestone

Just however awesome Arjun Erigaisi’s feat is tin beryllium gauged by the contiguous reactions to him touching 2800.

“(Arjun is) Like a slug gaining 60 points this year!” Viswanathan Anand exclaimed connected X referring to Arjun’s accelerated emergence from being 2738 successful January this year.

We interruption down the value of Arjun Erigaisi touching 2800 standing points:

What is the large woody astir reaching a 2800 rating?

The 2800 standing nine is an elusive nine successful chess. Only 16 men, including Arjun Erigaisi, person entered it. Only 14 person been successful it erstwhile the monthly published ratings were officially released by FIDE. Arjun frankincense could go lone the 15th subordinate to stay successful the 2800 nine successful the published ratings list. We person much satellite chess champions — 17 — than 2800-club members. It indispensable beryllium noted that FIDE, the planetary governing assemblage of chess, lone adopted authoritative ratings successful 1970.

Arjun Erigaisi is lone the 2nd Indian aft Viswanathan Anand to interaction 2800. Srinath Narayanan who has been Arjun’s manager and mentor called reaching 2800 “a spot similar crossing the 10,000 runs milestone successful cricket” (which, for the record, lone 14 batters person done successful Tests).

Arjun Erigaisi during an Express Adda earleir this twelvemonth astatine Chennai. (Express photo)

Are determination satellite champions who person ne'er reached 2800?

The 2800 nine has 5 satellite champions: Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Ding Liren. Players similar the legendary Bobby Fischer lone touched a highest standing of 2785. He could person breached into the 2800 nine arsenic good had helium not ended his vocation prematurely.

Is determination thing that stands retired astir Arjun Erigaisi reaching 2800?

Yes, betwixt 2019 and 2024, lone 1 caller subordinate was added to the 2800 club. This was erstwhile Alireza Firouzja got determination successful December 2021.

Arjun Erigaisi is the 2nd youngest subordinate to interruption into the 2800 club, with lone Firouzja astatine 18 being younger.

What is besides singular astir Arjun Erigaisi’s feat is that a twelvemonth back, successful October 2023, his standing was 2712. In a year’s time, he’s added astir 100 standing points portion playing successful unfastened tournaments — wherever determination are aggregate players of varying standing strengths alternatively than closed invitational events wherever elite players are invited. At unfastened tournaments, adjacent a gully with a little rated subordinate could nonstop the ratings plummeting. But astatine closed invitational events, adjacent a decision volition lone outgo a driblet of a fewer points.

What does reaching 2800 standing mean for Arjun Erigaisi?

For one, it volition pb to galore much invitations to events.

“Since helium started doing good successful these unfastened tournaments this year, enquiries for Arjun’s availability person been coming successful frequently. If you look astatine the elite invitational events this year, helium was lone invited for the Grand Chess Tour’s Poland Rapid & Blitz lawsuit and WR Chess Masters. Apart from that, helium had nary invites. Nothing from Tata Steel (in Wijk aan Zee), thing from Prague Chess, thing from Norway Chess. But this year, we person enquiries from everyone,” Sreekar Chennapragada, the co-founder of chess absorption steadfast MGD1 and Arjun Erigaisi’s manager told The Indian Express.

What has led to Arjun Erigaisi reaching 2800?

For Arjun Erigaisi, this standing highest comes successful a twelvemonth that started disconnected with plentifulness of vexation aft helium missed retired connected qualifying for the Candidates tournament. That miss led to a alteration successful his mindset.

“I’ve been trying not to attraction excessively overmuch (about specified things similar satellite rankings and ratings). So that’s been helping me. It is simply a conscious determination not to attraction excessively overmuch astir results,” Arjun had told The Indian Express successful June this twelvemonth aft becoming World No 4. “Last year, I desperately cared astir qualifying for the Candidates. Because of this, my nerves kept failing maine astatine captious moments.”

This year, aft adopting this caller approach, helium has played successful each imaginable crippled and tournament. At the Chess Olympiad, helium was the lone subordinate to play each 11 games adjacent though India had capable extent to remainder him.

“Arjun mostly has definite goals helium sets for himself similar qualifying for the Candidates and being a satellite champion. Reaching 2800 was besides 1 of those. That’s wherever his hunger comes from,” says Srinath.

Srinath points retired that astir players deed a intelligence ceiling aft playing the athletics continuously twelvemonth aft year. But not Gukesh and Arjun.

“He has unthinkable motivation. Arjun has fantabulous vigor levels, wherever helium and Gukesh person acceptable caller standards implicit the past fewer years. How overmuch chess they person been capable to play portion inactive maintaining quality. That’s what separates Arjun.”