Arjun Erigaisi Targets ₹1.26 Crore Prize Money In Esports World Cup Third Place Playoff

Last Updated:August 01, 2025, 13:11 IST

Indian GM Erigaisi will face American Hikaru Nakamura in the third-place playoff of the Esports World Cup 2025.

Arjun Erigaisi. (Photo: Reuters, X/ @NorwayChess)

India’s chess wunderkind Arjun Erigaisi may have come up short in the semi-finals of the Esports World Cup 2025, but he still has a shot at a staggering ₹1.26 crore payday when he squares off against Hikaru Nakamura in Friday’s third-place playoff. At just 21 years old, the Grandmaster from Warangal has already locked in at least ₹1 crore for his run in Riyadh—and now he’s gunning for more.

Erigaisi stumbled 4-1 against France’s Alireza Firouzja in Thursday’s best-of-six semi-final, as the world No.4 blitz sensation fell behind early and could not claw back. Firouzja seized the first, third and fifth games to book his ticket to the final against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen. Yet despite the scoreline, Erigaisi walked away upbeat.

“Yeah, he played really well," the Indian prodigy told Take Take Take after the match. “And I also missed some of my opportunities. Although this match didn’t go well, I am really happy with the tournament. The tournament is really good. I definitely wouldn’t want to go home on this painful note, so I’m happy there’s a third-place match."

Erigaisi’s path to the semis included a thrilling quarter-final victory over Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, whom he dispatched 2.5-1.5. That win guaranteed him a minimum prize of $115,000 (about ₹1 crore), but with Nakamura—ranked world No.2—in his sights, the spoils could swell to $145,000 (around ₹1.26 crore).

Nakamura, fresh off his own semi-final loss to Carlsen, is no pushover. The American star put up a fierce fight in his cliffhanger against the five-time world champion, even prompting Carlsen to shush a raucous crowd after one of Nakamura’s stunning victories. Now, both players will vie not just for pride but for bragging rights and an eye-popping cheque.

Meanwhile, India’s other rising star Nihal Sarin collected $85,000 (approximately ₹74 lakh) for reaching the quarter-finals, where he fell to Carlsen. “I’m just very happy to play against Magnus; he’s my biggest inspiration. It’s my first time getting to play him in a match," Sarin said with a grin.

All eyes now turn to Friday, as the Esports World Cup delivers its first-ever chess final—Carlsen versus Firouzja—for a mind-boggling $2.5 million (roughly ₹2.17 crore) top prize. But don’t blink: before the crown is decided, Erigaisi and Nakamura will battle in what promises to be a roller-coaster shootout for bronze and one colossal cheque.

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Location :

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

First Published:

August 01, 2025, 13:11 IST

News sports Arjun Erigaisi Targets ₹1.26 Crore Prize Money In Esports World Cup Third Place Playoff

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