The Norwegian genius showcased his unparalleled mastery of the game, clinching both the rapid and blitz titles in dominating fashion.

World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen returns to India as the 2024 Tata Steel Chess India tournament, set in Kolkata’s Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, gets underway on Wednesday (13 November). The 2024 Tata Steel Chess India tournament will showcase two formats: rapid and blitz. Both formats will have an open and women category.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Erigaisi faced fellow Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in the final round of the day, where he suffered a defeat. He finished the day third on the table with 5.5 points. The victory over Erigaisi, on the other hand, brought Praggnanandhaa’s tally to 6 points, placing him second on the Blitz leaderboard after nine rounds.

Just days after securing the rapid title, Carlsen produced a scintillating performance, including a dramatic turnaround against Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round, to reach an unassailable 12 points.

Magnus Carlsen started the second half of the Blitz event with a narrow half-point lead. Despite holding steady with five consecutive draws against Praggnanandhaa, Wesley So, Abdusattorov Nodirbek, Vincent Keymer,

Magnus Carlsen, despite suffering his first defeat against Arjun Erigaisi, finished Day One of the Tata Steel India Open Blitz tournament atop the leaderboard. Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi remain in contention.