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Nihal Sarin clinches Tata Steel Rapid 2026 with a 2839 performance, Anand second and Arjun Erigaisi third

by Shahid Ahmed - 09/01/2026

Nihal Sarin scored 6.5/9 to clinch Tata Steel Chess India Rapid 2026 with a 2839 and finished a half point ahead of the competition. The 21-year-old from Kerala started the day with a well-contested draw against R Praggnanandhaa. Then, he crushed Wesley So (USA). He finished the event with a draw against Vishy Anand who was the only player who could surpass him in the final round. The maestro started the day with a draw against Vidit Gujrathi, then he drew with Praggnanandhaa. Arjun Erigaisi scored 5/9 to finish third on tie-breaks. He edged past So and Hans Niemann (USA). GM Divya Deshmukh scored 2.5/3 on the final day to finish third scoring 50%, 4.5/9. Nine rounds of Blitz games will be played tomorrow. Blitz Round 1 starts tomorrow at 2 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Nihal delivers an encore performance of 2022, A good last day fetches Divya third place in Women

They say the more the things change, they stay the same. Back in 2022, Nihal won the tournament with a round to spare. Even then his sole loss was against Arjun Erigaisi. The entire podium in the Men's event was claimed by the Indians. This time, runner-up is Vishy Anand and Arjun Erigaisi moved from second to third place. Nihal also joined a unique club with Magnus Carlsen who is the only other player to have won this event twice in 2019 and 2024 since its inception. It means four out of the seven editions are won by two players - Carlsen and Nihal.

 

Personally Nihal had a tough time as his maternal grandfather passed away yesterday. It was very tough for him as his grandfather taught him chess. Nihal got a last minute opportunity as the World Champion, D Gukesh pulled out of the event. It just shows that good and kind people do not necessarily always come last, sometimes they wait for their opportunity with bated breath and seize them. It goes without saying that the partnership between GM Vishnu Prasanna and Nihal is really working well.

Champion - GM Nihal Sarin 6.5/9 | Photo: Lennart Ootes

GM Kateryna Lagno won the Women's event scoring an unbeaten 6.5/9. World Rapid Women 2025 champion, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina claimed second place scoring 5/9. FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 winner, GM Divya Deshmukh scored 4.5/9 and finished third, due to her tie-breaks being better than the remaining four players at 4.5/9 including GM Harika Dronavalli and GM R Vaishali. Harika and Vaishali secured fourth and fifth place respectively.

GM Divya Deshmukh scored 2.5/3 on the final day to finish third with 4.5/9 | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz 2026 logo | Photo: Official site

Round 7: Praggnanandhaa - Nihal: 0.5-0.5

R Praggnanandhaa (2662) and Nihal Sarin (2660) played three Rapid rated games against each other. Praggnanandhaa won two and Nihal drew one. This time they played a well contested draw.

Nihal Sarin started the day with a well contested draw against the World no.8, R Praggnanandhaa | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Arjun - So: 0.5-0.5

Arjun Erigaisi (2746) and Wesley So (USA, 2705) played four Rated rapid games against each other. Two of them occurred at the very same Tata Steel India Rapid in 2022 and 2024. In total, So won two and the remaining two ended in draws. Arjun had a great opportunity to register his first win in Rapid against his opponent in a rated game.

Position after 41...Rxa4+?

41...Rxa4+? was a mistake. 42.Kd3+- Bxc3 43.Kxc3 Rb4 44.Rb7 Kg7 45.b6 Kg6 46.Kd3?? instead 46.Rb8 would have maintained the decisive advantage for White.

Arjun Erigaisi missed a great opportunity to score his first win against Wesley So in a rated game | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Vidit Gujrathi - Vishy Anand: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 8: So - Nihal: 0-1

It might be difficult to believe but as per my research, So and Nihal played rated Rapid games only at this event - 2018, 2022 and 2024. So won the first one and the next two ended in draws. So got crushed by Nihal.

Position after 13.f4?

13.f4? Bxg1 14.Rxg1 Qb6 15.0-0-0 Qxg1 and White lost the game in eight more moves.

Moments before Nihal Sarin crushed Wesley So (USA) and avenged his 2018 loss at the inaugural edition of the same event | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Arjun Erigaisi got the better of Hans Niemann (USA) | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 9: Nihal - Anand: 0.5-0.5

The only time Nihal Sarin and Vishy Anand played a rated game in any format was over seven years at the very same event in the inaugural edition. It ended in a draw and the result was once again the same. Anand was the only player who had a mathematical chance of surpassing Nihal's score as he was trailing by a half point at 5.5/8 while Nihal was at 6/8. Maybe at some corner in his mind or heart, he felt that it would not be nice to push hard for a win against the youngster who is the present and future.

Vishy Anand probably in his mind - Yes kid you earned this one! | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Nihal Sarin scored 6.5/9, finished a half point ahead of the rest, performed at 2839 and gained 21.5 Elo rating points
Press Conference with Nihal Sarin | Video: ChessBase India

Replay live stream

Replay Tata Steel Chess India Rapid 2026 Round 7-9 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Format

There will be two tournaments: a men's and a women's event. The tournaments will be played in two formats - Rapid and Blitz. For the second time, both Men's and Women's event will take place simultaneously. Three rounds of Rapid games will be played on the first three days, followed by nine rounds of Blitz per day on the remaining two days of each event. The time control is 15 minutes for the entire game with an increment of 10 seconds from move no.1. For Blitz, the time control is 3 minutes with an increment of 2 seconds from move no.1.

Venue

Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, West Bengal. The tournament is open to all spectators and entry is free for all.

Replay Round 7-9 Men games

Replay Round 7-9 Women games

Round 7-9 Men results

Round 7 on 2026/01/09 at 15:00 hrs
Bo.FEDRtgWhiteResultBlackFEDRtg
1IND2746GMErigaisi, Arjun½ - ½GMSo, WesleyUSA2705
2USA2636GMNiemann, Hans Moke1 - 0GMAravindh, Chithambaram Vr.IND2603
3FID2603GMMurzin, Volodar1 - 0GMWei, YiCHN2746
4IND2632GMVidit, Santosh Gujrathi½ - ½GMAnand, ViswanathanIND2721
5IND2662GMPraggnanandhaa, R½ - ½GMNihal, SarinIND2660
Round 8 on 2026/01/09 at 16:15 hrs
Bo.FEDRtgWhiteResultBlackFEDRtg
1USA2705GMSo, Wesley0 - 1GMNihal, SarinIND2660
2IND2721GMAnand, Viswanathan½ - ½GMPraggnanandhaa, RIND2662
3CHN2746GMWei, Yi½ - ½GMVidit, Santosh GujrathiIND2632
4IND2603GMAravindh, Chithambaram Vr.0 - 1GMMurzin, VolodarFID2603
5IND2746GMErigaisi, Arjun1 - 0GMNiemann, Hans MokeUSA2636
Round 9 on 2026/01/09 at 17:30 hrs
Bo.FEDRtgWhiteResultBlackFEDRtg
1USA2636GMNiemann, Hans Moke½ - ½GMSo, WesleyUSA2705
2FID2603GMMurzin, Volodar1 - 0GMErigaisi, ArjunIND2746
3IND2632GMVidit, Santosh Gujrathi½ - ½GMAravindh, Chithambaram Vr.IND2603
4IND2662GMPraggnanandhaa, R0 - 1GMWei, YiCHN2746
5IND2660GMNihal, Sarin½ - ½GMAnand, ViswanathanIND2721

Details

Final standings

Rk.SNoNameFEDRtgIPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4 Rpnwwew-weKrtg+/-
19GMNihal, SarinIND26606,5026,552283996,54,352,151021,5
21GMAnand, ViswanathanIND27216024,5422791965,180,82108,2
34GMErigaisi, ArjunIND27465124,25412706955,52-0,5210-5,2
410GMSo, WesleyUSA27055218322711954,960,04100,4
55GMNiemann, Hans MokeUSA26365317,75412718954,020,98109,8
68GMPraggnanandhaa, RIND26624,5020,2520267294,54,360,14101,4
77GMVidit, Santosh GujrathiIND26324,5019,511267694,53,950,55105,5
86GMMurzin, VolodarFID26033,5112,2531259993,53,57-0,0710-0,7
92GMWei, YiCHN27463,5214,521258393,55,52-2,0210-20,2
103GMAravindh, Chithambaram Vr.IND26031,50700240691,53,57-2,0710-20,7

Details

Round 7-9 Women results

Round 7 on 2026/01/09 at 15:00 hrs
Bo.FEDRtg WhiteResultBlack FEDRtg
1GEO2393
GMDzagnidze, Nana½ - ½GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra
FID2512
2IND2325
IMVantika, Agrawal0 - 1GMDivya, Deshmukh
IND2422
3IND2392
GMVaishali, Rameshbabu1 - 0IMYip, Carissa
USA2347
4RUS2421
GMLagno, Kateryna1 - 0WGMRakshitta, Ravi
IND2148
5IND2416
GMDronavalli, Harika½ - ½IMTsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE2347
Round 8 on 2026/01/09 at 16:15 hrs
Bo.FEDRtg WhiteResultBlack FEDRtg
1FID2512
GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra½ - ½IMTsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE2347
2IND2148
WGMRakshitta, Ravi½ - ½GMDronavalli, Harika
IND2416
3USA2347
IMYip, Carissa½ - ½GMLagno, Kateryna
RUS2421
4IND2422
GMDivya, Deshmukh1 - 0GMVaishali, Rameshbabu
IND2392
5GEO2393
GMDzagnidze, Nana½ - ½IMVantika, Agrawal
IND2325
Round 9 on 2026/01/09 at 17:30 hrs
Bo.FEDRtg WhiteResultBlack FEDRtg
1IND2325
IMVantika, Agrawal0 - 1GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra
FID2512
2IND2392
GMVaishali, Rameshbabu1 - 0GMDzagnidze, Nana
GEO2393
3RUS2421
GMLagno, Kateryna½ - ½GMDivya, Deshmukh
IND2422
4IND2416
GMDronavalli, Harika1 - 0IMYip, Carissa
USA2347
5GRE2347
IMTsolakidou, Stavroula½ - ½WGMRakshitta, Ravi
IND2148

Details

Final standings

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgIPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4 Rpnwwew-weKrtg+/-
17
GMLagno, KaterynaRUS24216,5027,2542253396,55,131,371013,7
210
GMGoryachkina, AleksandraFID25125020,75322400956,27-1,2710-12,7
33
GMDivya, DeshmukhIND24224,5119,7521236794,55,13-0,6310-6,3
48
GMDronavalli, HarikaIND24164,5220,7510236794,55,06-0,5610-5,6
56
GMVaishali, RameshbabuIND23924,522031237094,54,74-0,2420-4,8
64
GMDzagnidze, NanaGEO23934,5420,520237094,54,74-0,2410-2,4
72
IMYip, CarissaUSA23474,5519,7530237594,54,150,35103,5
89
IMTsolakidou, StavroulaGRE23474016,75202332944,15-0,1520-3
95
IMVantika, AgrawalIND23253,5114,7530229893,53,87-0,3720-7,4
101
WGMRakshitta, RaviIND21483,5215,7510231793,51,761,742034,8

Details

Blitz Open Round 1 pairings

Bo. WhiteResultBlack 
1
GMNihal, SarinGMAravindh, Chithambaram Vr.
2
GMAnand, ViswanathanGMWei, Yi
3
GMErigaisi, ArjunGMMurzin, Volodar
4
GMSo, WesleyGMVidit, Santosh Gujrathi
5
GMNiemann, Hans MokeGMPraggnanandhaa, R

Details

Women Round 1 pairings

Bo. WhiteResultBlack 
1
GMLagno, KaterynaWGMRakshitta, Ravi
2
GMGoryachkina, AleksandraIMVantika, Agrawal
3
GMDivya, DeshmukhIMTsolakidou, Stavroula
4
GMDronavalli, HarikaIMYip, Carissa
5
GMVaishali, RameshbabuGMDzagnidze, Nana

Details

Schedule

Everyday round starts at 3 p.m. IST. The Rapid event will take place from 7th to 9th January, followed by the Blitz event on 10th and 11th January.

Prize

The total prize fund remains the same as the previous two editions - US$ 41500. The top three prizes in the Rapid are - $10000, $6000 and $3000. For Blitz they are - $7500, $4000 and $2500. Most importantly, the prizes remain equal in both Open and Womens events.

Links

Official site

Information

Gameplan

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