Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (December 31) congratulated Indian chess grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on winning the bronze medal at the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, calling it another proud moment for India in the global chess arena.
The 22-year-old’s podium finish in the Blitz event comes close on the heels of his bronze medal at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, underlining his consistency at the highest level of international chess.
PM Modi lauds Erigaisi’s achievement
In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised Erigaisi’s dedication and skill.
“India’s strides in chess continue! Congratulations to Arjun Erigaisi for winning the Bronze at the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, following his bronze medal in FIDE Rapid Chess Championship recently. His skills, patience and passion are exemplary. His successes will continue to inspire our youth. My best wishes to him,” PM Modi said.
Strong showing in Doha
Erigaisi delivered an impressive performance during the Blitz Championship, scoring 14.5 points from the first 18 rounds, which included 12 wins, five draws and just one loss, to qualify for the four-player knockout stage. He, however, lost in the semifinals to Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and settled for a bronze medal.
Earlier, at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha, Erigaisi secured his maiden bronze medal after finishing with 9.5 points in the 13-round Swiss-format tournament. With that result, he became only the second Indian male player after Viswanathan Anand to claim a podium finish at the World Rapid Championship.
Modi had also congratulated Koneru Humpy
Earlier, Modi had also congratulated Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy who also bagged a bronze medal at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship.
“Congratulations to Koneru Humpy, who finished strongly at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha, securing the Bronze medal in the women’s section. Her dedication towards the game is commendable. Best wishes for the endeavours ahead,” PM wrote in his post.