Wesley So Wins Tata Steel India Blitz Title, Sarin Runner-Up, Erigaisi Third

American Grandmaster Wesley So capped a superb campaign by winning the Open Blitz title at Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz 2026 in Kolkata on Sunday, sealing the crown with one round to spare . So finished on 12 points , holding off a strong Indian challenge led by Nihal Sarin , who ended runner-up with 11 , while another Indian star, Arjun Erigaisi , claimed third place , also on 11 points but behind on tie-breaks.

Considered India’s only elite Super Rapid and Blitz tournament , Tata Steel Chess India once again featured a high-quality field where the 18-round blitz format left little room for error. So’s success was built on composure in tense endgames and timely capitalisation on key moments. One crucial swing came when Vidit Gujrathi blundered a rook in a double-rook ending, allowing So to consolidate his lead. Even when the pressure mounted late in the event including a nervy draw where he handed back an exchange against Aravindh Chithambaram So stayed just ahead of the chasing pack. A safe draw against Hans Niemann effectively confirmed the title, even though So lost in the final round.

Behind the champion, Sarin’s late push added drama to the closing rounds. The Indian teenager, who had already lifted the Rapid title earlier in the week , continued his impressive form and remained in the hunt until the final day. Sarin and Erigaisi both finished on 11 points, underlining the depth of India’s fast-chess strength.

The Open event also saw several notable clashes. China’s Wei Yi outplayed five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand by calmly converting an extra exchange, while R Praggnanandhaa produced a sharp victory over Niemann after activating his rooks and establishing a dominant knight outpost. Sarin too recorded an important win over Anand during the decisive stretch.

The Women’s Blitz section was equally gripping and ended in a playoff. American Carissa Yip held her nerve to win the title, while India’s Vantika Agrawal finished runner-up after producing one of the tournament’s best late surges, winning her final four games including a crucial victory over Yip to force a tiebreak. In the playoff, Vantika dropped the first game, and Yip then held a long endgame draw in the second to seal the trophy.

While So and Yip emerged as champions, the tournament’s finish highlighted India’s growing dominance and depth in elite rapid and blitz chess.