Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi began his campaign at the 31st TePe Sigeman & Co tournament on a positive note, holding World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to a draw in Round 1 in Malmo on Friday.

Carlsen pressed on the queenside with a space-gaining plan, but Arjun defended accurately with 24…b6!, shutting down the passed-pawn threat before activating his knight to force simplification.

Once the rooks were exchanged, White had no clear way through and the players settled for a draw.

Arjun has had a slow start to 2026, finishing 13th at the Tata Steel Masters and sixth at the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, which Carlsen went on to win.

The tournament, considered one of the strongest classical chess events, features a host of former champions once again competing for the top prize, including 2024 winner Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, 2021 champion Jorden van Foreest and Swedish No. 1 Nils Grandelius.

Published on May 01, 2026