GM Arjun Erigaisi is the winner of the WR Chess Masters Cup 2024, held in London, defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in an Armageddon game during the final. This victory not only marks a significant achievement in Erigaisi’s career but also adds 27.94 rating points to his tally, positioning him as the leader on the FIDE Circuit. The win was particularly highlighted for its tense and dramatic conclusion, underscoring Erigaisi’s skill under pressure and his strategic prowess in fast chess formats like Armageddon. This triumph also comes with a prize money of 20,000 EUR, reflecting his stellar performance throughout the tournament.
WR Chess Masters Cup 2024 Round of 16 – Erigaisi faced off against Bodhana Sivanandan, winning with both the white and black pieces. The first two games for Lagrave against Javokhir Sindarov were ties, but he secured a victory in the tiebreaker game.
WR Chess Masters Cup 2024 Quarterfinals – his opponent was Santosh Gudjrati Vidit – after a tie in the first game, Erigaisi won the second one and with it, his ticket to the semifinals. Lagrave’s next opponent was Nodirbek Abdusattorov – both of their initial games were ties, but the Armageddon game was won by Lagrave.
WR Chess Masters Cup 2024 Semifinals – the last hurdle for Arjun Erigaisi before the finals was R Praggnanandhaa. Their first game was a tie, but Arjun was victorious in the second and proceed to the finals without paying a single tiebreaker game. Lagrave faced Alireza Firouzja. As in the previous round, the first two games were ties, with Lagrave taking victory in the decisive tiebreaker game.
WR Chess Masters Cup 2024 Finals – with the first two games both finishing in ties, Lagrave had tournament experience on his side – this was the result in all his previous rounds in the tournament. Meanwhile, Erigaisi had not played a single Armageddon game leading up to the finals. Yet it was GM Arjun Erigaisi who won it all.
