Bengaluru: Aravindh Chithambaram lit up the Chennai Grand Masters, finishing ahead of a field that comprised three of the world’s top 15 players - Levon Aronian, Vidit Gujrathi and India’s highest-ranked player, Arjun Erigaisi, for his first classical Super tournament title.

After five consecutive draws in the first five rounds, the 25 year-old Indian scored a massive win over Arjun and followed it up with another win against Parham Maghsoodloo in the final round to find himself in a three-way tie for first place with Arjun and Aronian.

In the tiebreaks that followed, Arjun and Aronian won a game each in blitz and Aronian holding a draw with Black in the Armageddon was enough for the Armenian-American GM to see off Arjun. It was then down to Aravindh and Aronian. The Indian held his own against the former world No 2, winning both his blitz games to walk away with the title.

“ I had nothing to lose in this tournament which took pressure off me especially against top guys. Never thought I would win it until I won it. I was trying to be solid in most of the games which worked out well,” Aravindh said.

In September, Aravindh made his super tournament debut courtesy being named a last-minute replacement for defending champion Vidit Gujrathi, who decided to stay back in India following the PM’s invitation for the gold-medal winning Indian Olympiad team. In an event which saw two-time World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi become champion, Aravindh had his moments, like the endgame resourcefulness against Nodirbek Abdusattorov in blitz.

As a junior, Aravindh ticked off the boxes of a gifted player on course to a promising future – U-19 national champion at 12, silver at the world U-14 championship, Grandmaster at the age of 15. He announced himself before the current Indian teen superstars – Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi Gukesh and Nihal Sarin– arrived on the scene. At the Chennai Open GM tournament which was held at the same time as the 2013 World Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand – then all of 14, he showed up four GMs, two IMs and posted a rating performance of 2728 – 400 points above his Elo.

“It’s pretty rare to find a junior player with a universal style of play,” coach RB Ramesh once said of Aravindh, calling him the most talented player he has coached. “The sort of combination of a great opening batsman and a terrific pacer.”

Aravindh, who lost his father when he was three, always had a love for preparation. “I like it more than playing tournaments,” he once told HT in an interview. In the tournaments he did show up, he proved his mettle. In 2022, he ran through a strong line-up of players which included Praggnanandhaa and Arjun, to win the Dubai Open.

Today he finds himself ranked 26 in the world, with a live rating of 2718. For a player who has long been waiting in the wings, his time appears to have arrived.

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