Arjun Erigaisi, the 21-year-old chess prodigy from Warangal, has been creating waves this year with a career-best ranking. He ascended to World No.4 in the FIDE world ratings in June this year after beating France’s Loic Travadon in the French Team Chess Championship 2024.

With the Chess Olympiad starting in Budapest this month and the much-awaited Global Chess League starting in London on October 3, Arjun exuded confidence and excitement as he prepares for a busy chess season.

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“Starting with the Olympiad, I have a long trip coming up, so I am not preparing specifically for any of these events, but I am going about the general preparation that I usually do,”  expressed a modest Arjun, who will turn up as the Superstar men player for Ganges Grandmasters in the Global Chess League Season 2.

The franchise owned by Insurekot Sports will feature legendary Vishwanathan Anand as Icon player, Arjun and Parham Maghsoodloo as Superstar men players, Vaishali R and  Nurgyul Salimova as Superstar women players, while Volodar Murzin is part of the team as the Prodigy player.

“Last year, I was on the same team as Magnus Carlsen, and now I am on the same team as Vishy Anand, sir. I remember following the 2013 World Championship match as a fan, and after 10-11 years, I got the chance to be in the same teams as them. It’s a big delight,” said Arjun.

Speaking about his experience from the inaugural season of the Global Chess League held in Dubai, Arjun said, “Season one was a thriller for me. I am very excited and motivated for the second season and hope to perform well this time.”

He further drew parallels with the Indian Premier League and how it helped take franchise-based cricket to a global audience and changed the sport’s landscape. “It’s definitely a great thing that we now have Global Chess League in the chess circuit. I really hope it makes a big impact in the chess world like IPL did to cricket.”

“There are a limited number of team chess tournaments, but I love it whenever I get a chance to participate in a team event. This is a bit different from other team events like the Olympiad or World Teams because you wouldn’t know most of your teammates in person, so it presents a unique opportunity to bond with new minds,” he added.

With the Global Chess League being held in London this time, there is a lot of excitement among the chess fraternity. Arjun’s prospects of playing in London are all the more exciting as he has never been to Britain’s capital.

“It will be my first visit to London. Hopefully, I will find time to visit the London Eye, and on the board, I look forward to getting some nice wins. As a team, the goal is to win it all, and my aim is to be at my absolute best during the event,” he signed off.