Bengaluru: In a chaotic match where both competitors squandered opportunities to secure victory, Arjun Erigaisi and Hikaru Nakamura concluded their initial quarter-final game in the Paris segment of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour with a draw. The two will face off again in their second classical game on Thursday, with Arjun playing as Black. Should they draw once more, a playoff will determine the winner.

Arjun, the sole Indian player to reach the knockout stage, began the game with the White pieces and held a pawn advantage, presenting a favorable position early on. Nakamura attributed his challenging situation to advice given by Ian Nepomniachtchi during their pre-game discussion.

“I was likely lost right from the opening,” Nakamura remarked. “The lesson here is to be cautious about trusting a Russian… Nepo suggested that f5-g6-Nxg6 were all solid moves, and several of us followed that advice. Arjun played by the book and simply captured the pawn. For the first hour and a half, I genuinely felt like getting up from my board and confronting Nepo… It’s easy to become biased when influenced by others.”

Fortunately for Nakamura, Arjun, who had gained two pawns and appeared confident, squandered part of his advantage with the move 20. Rg1. With time on his side, Nakamura managed to regain his footing and seemed to be on the verge of a decisive advantage. However, under time pressure, Arjun maintained his composure, fought back, and ultimately secured a draw.

“The advantage of classical chess is that it seldom hinges on a single blunder,” Nakamura noted. “Typically, the player with the superior strategy prevails. Arjun had a winning opportunity that he overlooked… I can feel both disappointment and satisfaction, but I don’t believe it was a clear winning chance for me.”

Earlier, having topped the round-robin standings, Nepomniachtchi had the privilege of selecting his opponent first for the two-game classical quarter-final match. He opted for the Black pieces against German GM Vincent Keymer. Arjun, who placed fourth in the round-robin, did not need to make a selection as N.

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