Chess
Arjun Erigaisi signs up with Gen.G Esports team
Gen.G brought out its latest tie-up with the chess player with a social media post on X, with Arjun being seen in different avatars.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi won an individual gold along with the team title at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in 2024.
Indian chess player Arjun Erigaisi signed up with Gen.G Esports, a leading esports organization connecting the US and Asia.
Gen.G brought out its latest tie-up with the chess player with a social media post on X, with Arjun being seen in different avatars. He is riding a bull; he is feeding an eagle. In another funny turn, he is launching mock punches at the world champion Gukesh. This is among several things he did in the video.
“Life's too short to make bad moves... so we made a great one. Ranked #4 in the World, he's the most interesting Chess player alive. Welcome @ArjunErigaisi to Gen.G!”
Arjun, currently the highest-ranked Indian in the FIDE ranking with a world ranking of four, became only the second Indian chess player after Vishwanathan Anand to achieve 2800 Elo rating points in December 2024.
He had been in sensational form last year, having won an individual gold as well as a team title in India's recent historic performance in the Chess Olympiad.
The 21-year-old also inspired his fellow Indians to do well on the international board, with R Praggnanandhaa giving credit to him and Gukesh for inspiring him to work harder after winning the 2025 Tata Steel Chess competition.
“Results from other Indian chess players like Gukesh winning the world championship or Arjun Erigaisi crossing 2800 (Elo rating in classical chess) inspired me to work harder,” said Praggnanandhaa after winning the event in the Netherlands.
Praggnananadhaa beat world champion D Gukesh to win the title.
In the last round of the Tata Steel Chess, Arjun handed Gukesh his first defeat since he became the world champion in Singapore late last year.
Chess will make it debut at the Esports World Cup later this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While Magnus Carlsen will be Esports World Cup's global ambassador, Hikaru Nakamura has also reportedly been signed by a team.
