2025 is shaping up to be an exhilarating year for Arjun Erigaisi. At the Tata Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Erigaisi initially struggled but regained his form just as hope seemed lost. He achieved a remarkable victory against title contender Nodirbek Abdusattor in the penultimate round, followed by a win over the leader and reigning world champion D Gukesh in the 14th round.

Erigaisi played a pivotal role in the tournament's outcome, as his triumph over Gukesh led to the title being decided in a tie-breaker. Gukesh subsequently faced R Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaker, ultimately finishing in second place, while the youngest-ever world champion had to settle for the runner-up position.

Arjun Erigaisi weighs in on ESports World Cup

In April, Erigaisi is poised to make his debut in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Paris. Additionally, he will participate in the ESports World Cup later this year, having signed with Gen.G. He recently shared his thoughts on this decision with Firstpost. “Absolutely. I believe there are many individuals who may not follow traditional sports but are avid fans of Esports. This presents an opportunity for them to engage with chess, which is beneficial for the game. It certainly opens up new avenues,” he remarked.

“Chess can be played not only as a physical, over-the-board competition but also as an e-sport, a distinction that is unique to chess, as no other sport can be played in this manner. I am pleased that this is occurring, and I hope it will gain significant traction and create numerous opportunities.”

He also acknowledged Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura for sparking his interest in Esports chess. “I first learned about the ESports World Cup when Magnus and Hikaru discussed it towards the end of last year. I then explored the format and related aspects, which intrigued me. When Gen.G reached out to my team, my excitement about the event made me eager to participate,” he explained.

“After several discussions, we agreed that I would represent them, and I am thrilled with that decision. They are champions in League of Legends, and this marks their inaugural venture into chess. I am grateful for their choice and will strive to make them proud.”

Erigaisi also addressed the issue of cheating in online chess, a topic that has gained renewed attention, particularly following Carlsen's appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, where he revealed details about his notorious cheating controversy involving American GM Hans Niemann.

“With online, there is this benefit of like just being sitting at home and playing. That’s always nice when you can just be home and play. But also there are other factors like cheating is a bigger concern. There’s also the mouse factor. Some people can play very fast with their mouse and not all can do that,” he said.

“And also internet connection. I haven’t faced any disconnections as such, but it’s definitely the case that the servers in, at least for Chess.com, the servers in US are better. So when you play from US, your move reaches the server faster. So you lose less time and that. So there are these factors,” he added.

He is also currently World No. 5 and India No. 1. He lost his India No. 1 position to Gukesh during the Tata Masters in January this year.

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