Magnus Carlsen secured his sixth FIDE World Rapid Championship title in Doha on Sunday, finishing with a score of 10.5/13. After a seventh-round loss to Vladislav Artemiev, Carlsen produced a five-game winning streak; including a victory over rival Hans Niemann, to take a full-point lead into the final round.
A 24-move draw against Anish Giri was sufficient to secure the championship outright, marking Carlsen’s 19th world title across all formats.
For India, Arjun Erigaisi claimed a historic bronze medal in the open section, becoming the first Indian male to reach the podium since Viswanathan Anand won gold in 2017. Erigaisi finished tied for second on 9.5 points alongside Artemiev, Niemann, and Leinier Dominguez Perez, but secured third place based on a superior Buchholz tie-break score of 98.
Despite a late setback against Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus in the 11th round, Erigaisi rallied with two consecutive wins to close the tournament. His podium finish also earns him a quota for the pilot tournament of the Total Chess World Championship Tour scheduled for next October.
Other Indian contenders finished further down the standings in a competitive open field of 247 players. Aravindh Chithambaram was the next best-placed Indian in 16th with 8.5 points, while Nihal Sarin and reigning classical world champion D. Gukesh finished 19th and 20th respectively.
R. Praggnanandhaa ended the rapid event in 28th place, also on 8.5 points. In the women’s section, India demonstrated significant depth with Savitha Shri Baskar finishing fourth, Rameshbabu Vaishali in fifth, and Divya Deshmukh taking eighth place, rounding out a strong collective showing for the Indian contingent.
Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Carlsen remarked after his victory, "I know that tomorrow is going to be very difficult," as the world’s elite prepare for the two-day, fast-paced blitz marathon. But he concluded the event on a high, tweeting, "Let’s make it an even 19 world championship titles then."
The focus now shifts to the FIDE World Blitz Championship, which begins this Monday in Doha. Carlsen, who shared the blitz title last year, will be the favorite as he seeks to complete another world title double. The tournament provides an immediate opportunity for players like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa to improve on their rapid standings.
