Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi stormed back into the world’s top 10 after a crucial third-round victory over Sweden’s Nils Grandelius at the TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2026, boosting his standing in the global rankings.
The win, Arjun’s first of the tournament, lifted him alongside Magnus Carlsen, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Yagiz Erdogmus and Andy Woodward, with all five players tied on two points after three rounds.
Coming into the event after a dip in form at the Masters earlier this year, Arjun has shown signs of resurgence in Malmö, opening with steady draws against top opposition, including Carlsen, before breaking through with a commanding performance against Grandelius. Playing white, he opted for an Open Sicilian against the Dragon Variation and executed an aggressive kingside strategy inspired by recent elite-level games.
“I could only recall Vaishali’s last-round win from the Candidates… her king was quite safe with this bishop on b3, so I thought I’ll put the bishop on b3 and try to take it from there,” Arjun said, as quoted by Chess.com. He went on to convert his advantage with precise play, pushing his live rating to 2755.4 and reclaiming the World No. 9 spot.
Elsewhere, Erdogmus defeated China’s Zhu Jiner, the only female participant in the field, while the clash between Carlsen and Abdusattorov ended in a draw. Jorden van Foreest also shared points with Woodward in another drawn encounter.
With the tournament finely poised, Arjun will next face Abdusattorov in a key fourth-round clash, while Carlsen takes on Van Foreest and Erdogmus meets Grandelius. Riding renewed confidence, the Indian star will aim to build momentum and consolidate his place among the world’s elite.
(With IANS Input)
