Arjun Erigaisi receives US visa days before start of FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi was a relieved man after he received his United States visa to compete in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships that begins on 26 December in New York. On Friday, Arjun had urged the US Embassy to expedite the process for visa with just days to go for the tournament.

He had also appealed to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) to help him in the process. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships will feature top chess layers like Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana. D Gukesh, the recently crowned world champion, will skip the tournament that runs till 31 December.

”I have received the US Visa! I am honestly overwhelmed and very grateful for so much positive response to my situation,” Erigaisi wrote on his ’X’ handle.

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”Thank you to the @USAndIndia & @USAmbIndia for the quick turn around! Thank you @MEAIndia @anandmahindra @narangnitin @aicfchess @IndiaSports @FIDE_chess @USChess @QBResearch @mgd1_esports journalists and many other well wishers who went out of their way to make this happen.

”I hope to make all of you and our country proud of my achievements. New York here I come,” he added.

I have received the US Visa!

I am honestly overwhelmed and very grateful for so much positive response to my situation 🙏

Thank you to the @USAndIndia & @USAmbIndia for the quick turn around!

Thank you @MEAIndia @anandmahindra @narangnitin @aicfchess @IndiaSports @FIDE_chess…

— Arjun Erigaisi (@ArjunErigaisi) December 23, 2024

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Erigaisi, who recently became the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve the gold-standard ELO rating of 2800 , has been in sensational form this year. He claimed an individual gold as well as a team title in India’s historic performance in Chess Olympiad.

Among the leading players competing in the championship are Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Jeffrey Xiong, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Hans Niemann and Sam Shankland.

With inputs from PTI