Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi have successfully advanced to the quarter-finals of the Rediff chess tournament in Paris, overcoming elimination pressure through successful lower-bracket campaigns. Following opening struggles that dropped multiple Indian competitors into the lower bracket, Nihal and Arjun mounted strong comebacks on the final day of the group stage to secure their places in the top eight at the Paris Expo de Versailles, according to The Indian Express.
Indian Grandmasters Secure Quarter-Final Spots in Paris
The tournament features a substantial US$1.5 million prize pool and utilizes a 10-minute, no-increment time control format, with Armageddon games employed as tiebreaks for two-game matches. The surviving competitors now advance to a single-elimination knockout stage.
Nihal Sarin Navigates a Demanding Lower Bracket Path
Nihal Sarin faced a demanding route through the lower bracket after dropping down following an initial quarterfinal setback. Representing S8UL Esports, Nihal opened his recovery campaign against Team Nemesis player Wei Yi. After the initial two games ended in draws, Nihal secured a victory in the Armageddon tiebreak while playing with the white pieces.
Following that breakthrough, Nihal faced Weibo Gaming competitor Jan-Krzysztof Duda. After drawing the opening encounter, Nihal secured a 1.5-0.5 victory in the second game to lock down his quarter-final position. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov also qualified for the playoff stage alongside the Indian competitors.
Arjun Erigaisi Eliminates Compatriot Pranesh M
Arjun Erigaisi earned his spot in the knockout stage following a sequence of elimination matches. Fellow Indian competitor Pranesh M stayed alive in Group A by defeating Team MGD1 player Benjamin Bok. Pranesh won the opening game, and although Bok fought back to force an Armageddon tiebreak, the game ended in a draw, which was enough for Pranesh—playing with the black pieces—to advance under tournament rules.
That result created an all-Indian lower-bracket decider between Pranesh and Arjun, who competes for Gen. G Esports. Arjun produced a 2-0 victory to eliminate Pranesh from the tournament. To be honest, my quality wasn’t good today. I think I was in trouble in both the games. But overall, I would say I showed a better understanding of the game under critical moments. So that helped me take the time,
Arjun said.
Playoff Field and Tournament Context
The conclusion of the group stage set the final eight-player bracket for the single-elimination rounds. Hans Niemann and Deniz Lazavik secured the final two positions in the top eight through Group B, with Niemann defeating Iranian Grandmaster Sina Movahed and Lazavik eliminating Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Both Nihal and Arjun reached the playoffs at the inaugural event in 2025, where Nihal made the quarter-finals and Arjun finished fourth after falling to Alireza Firouzja in the semi-finals and Hikaru Nakamura in the third-place match. Both players are aiming to improve upon those previous finishes as the tournament moves into the knockout phase.
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