The final day of the Tata Steel Chess India 2026 festival in Kolkata witnessed a spectacular American double triumph, as Carissa Yip and Wesley So emerged victorious in the women's and open Blitz tournaments respectively on Sunday, January 11.
Yip Defies Expectations to Claim Women's Blitz Crown
Despite previously rating Rapid and Blitz as her weaker formats, 22-year-old American International Master Carissa Yip proved her own assessment wrong in stunning fashion. After a third-place finish in the Rapid event, Yip battled through an exhausting 18-round Blitz marathon to tie for first place with India's Vantika Agrawal. The title was ultimately decided in a tie-break, where Yip's creative board ideas and versatility shone through, securing her the championship.
Vantika Agrawal's journey to second place was a tale of remarkable resilience. After a shaky start with two draws and consecutive losses to Divya Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli, the Indian player mounted a stunning comeback. She won five of her next six games, finishing with four straight victories to force the tie at the top. Her performance was aided by a late stumble from early leader Aleksandra Goryachkina. Greek IM Stavroula Tsolakidou finished third, making it a clean sweep of the podium by International Masters.
Wesley So's Dominant Display in Open Section
In the Open Blitz section, Wesley So delivered a masterclass in consistency and precision. The 32-year-old American, a crowd favourite in Kolkata on his sixth appearance at the event, sealed the title with a round to spare. His dominance was highlighted by an unbeaten record against his closest rivals. In six games against Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, and Hans Niemann in the double round-robin format, So secured three wins and three draws, amassing 4.5 points from those crucial encounters.
Nihal Sarin, still riding the emotional high of his Rapid title win dedicated to his late grandfather, was the day's top scorer with 5.5 points. He finished level on 11 total points with Arjun Erigaisi but claimed the runner-up spot due to a superior tiebreak score.
Arjun Erigaisi's Frustrating Fade
The tournament ended in disappointment for India's Arjun Erigaisi, who seemed poised for glory after a blistering start of five consecutive wins. He even held eventual champion Wesley So to a draw in the 15th round, trailing by just half a point. However, a collapse in the final three rounds, with losses to Hans Niemann and R. Praggnanandhaa yielding only 0.5 points, condemned him to third place.
This continues a pattern for Arjun, whose recent fourth-place finishes have now shifted to third-place podium spots, having also secured bronze in both Rapid and Blitz at the World Championship in Doha just a week prior. Wesley So himself acknowledged Arjun's puzzling drop in form, noting his "insane" performance in Doha and contrasting it with his 50% score on the final day in Kolkata.
Vantika Agrawal's silver medal signals the growing depth of Indian women's chess across formats, while the American double delight underscores the global competitive nature of the sport. The Tata Steel Chess India 2026 festival concluded with thrilling, unpredictable battles that set the tone for the chess year ahead.
