The Norwegian maestro had a dominant start, but his momentum was halted in round eight by Arjun Erigaisi, who defeated him in spectacular fashion in just 20 mov

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen leads the Open section with 6.5 points at the halfway point of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz 2024 tournament. India's R Praggnanandhaa trails closely behind with 6 points.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and three-time world women's blitz champion Kateryna Lagno emerged as the leaders at the halfway mark of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz 2024, being held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium here. Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible nine.

Magnus Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible 9. The Norwegian maestro had a dominant start, but his momentum was halted in round eight by Arjun Erigaisi,

Magnus Carlsen, despite suffering his first defeat against Arjun Erigaisi, finished Day One of the Tata Steel India Open Blitz tournament atop the leaderboard. Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi remain in contention.

Kolkata: The Tata Steel Chess tournament has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for Arjun Erigaisi, the latest entrant to the 2800-rating club. Barely two days earlier, Magnus Carlsen had picked his game against the Indian as the one he enjoyed the most in the rapid round even though defeat was inflicted in just 40 moves.