Arjun Erigaisi - UPSC Key Notes & Top MCQs
Arjun Erigaisi is a rising Indian chess grandmaster known for his fast-paced style, strategic depth, and consistent top-tier performances. Breaking through national and international tournaments, he represents the new generation of Indian chess talent, bringing fresh energy, innovation, and hope to India’s global chess ambitions.
Studying Arjun Erigaisi is useful for UPSC and other exams because his journey highlights youth excellence, competitive sports infrastructure, global ranking systems, India’s soft power in chess, and the role of discipline, strategy, and nation-building in sports narratives.
Quick Revision Note - Arjun Erigaisi
Keyword Definitions (UPSC / SSC / RRB / SEBI / IBPS / NDA Exams)
- Arjun Erigaisi: An Indian chess grandmaster from Telangana, known for his rapid rise, creative play, and representing India in international chess. His achievements reflect rising youth talent and national pride in competitive chess.
- Grandmaster Title: The highest title awarded by ICF (International Chess Federation) to elite chess players who meet performance and rating criteria—symbolising world-class level in the sport of chess.
- FIDE Rating: A numerical value assigned by FIDE indicating a chess player’s strength, calculated from tournament results. Higher ratings reflect better performance and global ranking among players.
- Rapid Chess: A chess format where each player has less than 25 minutes plus a small time increment per move. It demands quick decision-making and is one of the key formats in top-tier tournaments.
- Blitz Chess: An even faster format with typically 3-5 minutes per player. It tests reflexes, intuition, and speed, and is popular in online platforms and rapid competitions internationally.
- Indian Chess Excellence: Refers to the growing success of Indian chess players on the world stage, including multiple grandmasters, world title challengers and youth champions who boost India’s global sporting reputation.
- Chess Olympiad: A biennial team competition organised by FIDE where national teams compete internationally. Success here boosts a country’s soft power and sports diplomacy credentials.
- Sports Diplomacy: The use of sports achievements and international competitions by a country to enhance its global image, forge international bonds, and project soft power through athletes and events.
- Youth Talent Pipeline: Structured systems through academies, tournaments, and training that nurture young athletes. Erigaisi’s progression demonstrates how India’s investment in youth chess is yielding global results.
- Rating Performance Norms: Standards set by FIDE requiring players to achieve specific performance across tournaments to earn titles like International Master or Grandmaster, reflecting consistent high-level play.
- Online Chess Platforms: Digital services offering chess play and training globally. They accelerated talent identification and skill development especially during the pandemic, benefiting players such as Erigaisi.
Multiple Choice Questions - Arjun Erigaisi
Arjun Erigaisi’s journey is a lesson in focus, persistence, and strategic growth. As you prepare for exams like UPSC, draw parallels between his discipline and your study strategy. Stay curious, build skills steadily, and aim for long-term success.
a) 2018
b) 2016
c) 2021
d) 2023
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Arjun earned the Grandmaster title in 2018 after completing all required norms, showcasing strong consistency, rapid growth and tactical maturity early in his professional chess journey. Answer: aa) Blitz
b) Rapid
c) Classical
d) Correspondence
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Arjun has built a global reputation for rapid chess excellence, demonstrating quick intuition, strong tactical accuracy and composure under severe time pressure across elite international tournaments. Answer: ba) Kerala
b) Karnataka
c) Telangana
d) West Bengal
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Arjun Erigaisi hails from Telangana, a state that has rapidly emerged as a hub for young chess prodigies due to supportive training environments and growing competitive exposure. Answer: ca) Tata Steel Masters
b) Airthings Masters
c) Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour Finals
d) Grand Prix Series
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His qualification for the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour Finals established him as a rising global competitor, proving his ability to challenge elite young grandmasters worldwide. Answer: ca) Sharjah Masters
b) Tata Steel Chess India Rapid
c) Delhi Open
d) Reykjavik Open
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Arjun’s victory at Tata Steel Chess India Rapid 2022 highlighted his strong rapid skills, competitive maturity and ability to defeat top global players in high-pressure, elite-format tournaments. Answer: ba) Super Grandmasters
b) Elite Masters
c) Gold Category Players
d) World Challengers Group
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Crossing the 2700 rating made Arjun a Super Grandmaster, placing him among the world’s top chess talents and demonstrating exceptional skill, consistency and long-term competitive strength. Answer: aa) Chess in Schools Programme
b) Khelo India Chess Programme
c) Telangana Chess Growth Mission
d) India Youth Chess Academy
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Arjun represents the success of Telangana’s Chess Growth Mission, which focuses on grassroots nurturing, structured coaching and early competitive exposure for young and exceptionally talented players. Answer: ca) National Sub-Junior Championship
b) Asian Youth Championship
c) Commonwealth Chess Championship
d) Under-14 National Chess League
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Arjun’s success at the Asian Youth Championship highlighted his early strength, rapid calculation skills and international potential, marking him as one of India’s most promising young chess talents. Answer: ba) Time management only
b) Tactical aggression only
c) Calm strategic decision-making
d) Openings preparation only
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Experts admire Arjun’s calm strategic decisions under pressure, combining tactical sharpness with strong evaluation skills. This balance makes him highly competitive across rapid, blitz and classical formats. Answer: ca) Growth of adventure sports
b) Intellectual sports revolution
c) Decline of traditional games
d) Media-driven sports hype
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India’s intellectual sports revolution reflects rising interest in chess, structured training and global achievements. Arjun symbolizes this movement with disciplined growth, strong results and inspiring youth engagement. Answer: bAdditional Reading - Arjun Erigaisi
Arjun Erigaisi - Key Facts Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Arjun Erigaisi |
| Birth Year | 2003 |
| Hometown | Warangal, Telangana, India |
| Grandmaster Title | Achieved in 2021 |
| Known For | Aggressive play, sharp tactics, youth icon in Indian chess |
| Training Institutes | Srividyalayam, FIDE Programs |
| Mentors | Sribas Mohan, various international coaches |
| FIDE Recognition | FIDE Master (2018), Grandmaster (2021) |
| Fan Reach | Popular on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook Live |
What is Known About Arjun Erigaisi's Early Life?
Arjun Erigaisi was born in 2003 in the town of Warangal in the state of Telangana. He developed an interest in chess at an early age. This turned his life around.
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His parents were people who gave importance to education, which in turn increased his desire to learn.
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At a young age, he understood how to think strategically, not just about chess.
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Initially trained through local coaching, Arjun later took international coaching and developed himself.
How did Arjun Erigaisi achieve his early stage of success?
Arjun surprised the world with his early successes. Unlike the typical childlike style, his game showed maturity.
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In 2015, he showcased his talent and won the first position at the national level.
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In 2018, he gained international recognition when he reached the FIDE Master level.
In 2021, he achieved a significant professional milestone by becoming a grandmaster.
What are the Unique Tactics of Arjun Erigaisi?
Arjun's game is characterized by aggression and serious tactics. He views each game from a different angle.
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His way of choosing openings is unique; he can predict the opponent's moves in advance.
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He chooses very clever ways to dominate the kings in the middle phase.
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He dominates his opponents due to his accuracy in the endgame.
What Is Arjun Erigaisi's World Chess Ranking?
Arjun has participated in many international competitions so far and has won many awards. His ranking is climbing rapidly.
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His score in the FIDE rankings has placed him among the top players.
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Arjun has won a lot of attention by defeating the world's leading grandmasters.
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He has been praised by prominent chess grandmasters who have seen him play.
FIDE Rankings Summary – July 2025
| Player | Ranking & Country |
|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen | Rank 1 – Norway |
| Fabiano Caruana | Rank 2 – USA |
| Ding Liren | Rank 3 – China |
| Ian Nepomniachtchi | Rank 4 – Russia |
| Arjun Erigaisi | Rank 5 – India |
| Hikaru Nakamura | Rank 6 – USA |
Note: In the FIDE rankings of July 2025, Arjun Erigaisi holds the #5 position in the world. His ratings across different formats are:
Classical: 2776 |
Rapid: 2708 |
Blitz: 2750
He achieved his peak rating of 2801 in December 2024, becoming the second Indian player to cross the 2800 mark, after Viswanathan Anand.
FIDE ratings are updated monthly. The above data reflects the ranking as of July 2025.
Who are Arjun Erigaisi's Mentors?
Proper training is essential for success. Along with hard work, Arjun has also got good mentors.
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He has trained at private coaching centers like Srividyalayam.
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International coaches like Sribas Mohan, who have been his mentors, have helped him in unearthing his talent.
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He has learned international-level strategies through FIDE coaching programs.
What Lies Ahead for Arjun Erigaisi's Career Path?
Arjun Erigaisi has a clear vision for the future. He hopes to bring honor to the country through chess.
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He is mentally prepared for the World Chess Championship.
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He is participating in school-level programs, hoping to increase interest in chess among the youth.
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He practices yoga and meditation to gain the mental stability needed for chess.
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How Popular Is Arjun Erigaisis?
Nowadays, young people look up to Arjun Erigaisi. Fans are enjoying his active participation on social media.
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His game videos and strategy analyses are becoming popular on YouTube and Instagram.
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He has gained a lot of fans through Facebook Live sessions and answering fans' queries.
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After watching his games, the youth are feeling inspired to take chess seriously.
Top 10 Indian Chess Players (July 2025)
| Player | Rank & Highlights |
|---|---|
| Arjun Erigaisi | #5 in World – Crossed 2800 peak in 2024 |
| D Gukesh | World Championship contender 2024 |
| R Praggnanandhaa | Reached the World Cup final 2023 |
| Vidit Gujrathi | Olympiad 2022 captain – Steady top 30 |
| Pentala Harikrishna | Consistent elite–2700+ rating |
| S L Narayanan | Top Indian rapid & team event performer |
| Krishnan Sasikiran | Veteran GM & Olympiad medalist |
| Adhiban Baskaran | Known for an aggressive play style |
| Raunak Sadhwani | Young prodigy with a rising FIDE rating |
| Abhimanyu Puranik | Consistent performer in open events |
Conclusion
Arjun Erigaisi's life teaches you how much hard work, dedication, and mental strength are needed to achieve any goal, not just in the game of chess. Every achievement he has earned so far is like a compass for the youth of India. Lessons and values are deeply embedded in his game. If you, too, want to move forward with courage in your life’s journey, you can take Arjun Erigaisi as an example. Arjun, who brought great honor to India, continues to be a person who gives importance to human values.
Informative and easy to follow.
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