GM Erigaisi requests US Embassy to grant him visa for World Rapid & Blitz

With time running out, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on Friday appealed to the United States Embassy to expedite the process of granting him the necessary visa to compete in the World Rapid & Blitz Championship, beginning in New York in less than a week. Around 300 chess players, including the world's top-rated player and former world champion in classical chess, Magnus Carlsen, and three former World Championship challengers, Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Boris Gelfand, among others will be in action in the championship to be held from December 26 to 31.

Erigaisi also requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) to help him get the visa. "@USAndIndia Last week I submitted my passport to you for visa stamping and it still has not been returned. I request you to please expedite the process and return my passport as soon as possible as I need it for my travel to New York for World Rapid & Blitz Championship," wrote Erigaisi, 21, on 'X'.

"If anyone can help me with this please DM," added Erigaisi, who recently became the second Indian after legendary Viswanathan Anand, and 16th worldwide, to reach the gold-standard ELO rating of 2800. Erigaisi has been in sensational form this year, having won an individual gold as well as team title in India's recent historic performance in the Chess Olympiad.

Erigaisi, who currently occupies the fourth spot in the latest rankings, had missed out on qualifying for the Candidates in Toronto earlier this year. D Gukesh had qualified from the Candidates to set up a World Championship title showdown with China's Ding Liren in Singapore, which the Indian won recently.

The World Rapid & Blitz Championship could be an opportunity for Erigaisi to overcome the disappointment. The other leading players competing in the championship include, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Jeffrey Xiong, Leinier Domignuez Perez, Hans Niemann and Sam Shankland. PTI