Arjun Erigaisi Sweeps Two 3 0 Thursday Chess Tournaments in One Day
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi produced a remarkable performance in this week’s 3 0 Thursday chess events, winning both the second and third tournaments after finishing sixth in the opening contest. His double triumph puts him in rare company: he is only the second player to win two tournaments on the same day for a second time.
The day began with Grandmaster Alexey Sarana taking the first title in commanding fashion, scoring 10 points from 11 games. Erigaisi then took over, first catching and passing Jan-Krzysztof Duda on tiebreaks, before winning the third tournament outright with a 1.5-point margin. Across all three events, the fast-paced competition delivered close finishes, tactical complications and the split-second decisions that make online blitz chess so compelling.
First Tournament: Sarana Sets the Pace
Sarana made an emphatic start, winning his first six games and quickly establishing himself as the player to beat. His run included a hard-fought fifth-round encounter with a grandmaster, a game that swung back and forth before Sarana secured the point.
His winning streak ended in the seventh round, when International Master (IM) Harika Dronavalli won a piece and converted the advantage to hand Sarana his only defeat of the tournament. Sarana responded immediately. He beat Grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk and then survived a sharp, unpredictable battle against Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.
With eight points from nine games, Sarana held the lead—and he kept pushing. Consecutive victories in the final two rounds lifted him to 10/11, giving him a full-point advantage over the rest of the field. Grandmaster Sam Sevian took second place on tiebreaks, ahead of Grandmaster Ray Robson and FIDE Master (FM) Brewington Hardaway. Harika finished as the top woman, scoring seven points.
Sarana’s result was built on both consistency and resilience. Rather than allowing his lone loss to disrupt his momentum, he returned to winning form and closed the event with two crucial victories. In an 11-round Swiss, where players are paired against opponents with similar scores, that ability to recover can be just as important as a fast start.
Second Tournament: Erigaisi Catches Duda
After placing sixth in the first event, Erigaisi began the second tournament with a strong run of his own. He scored 6.5/7 and moved into clear first place, putting himself in position to challenge for the title. Duda caught him in round eight, however, winning a lengthy rook endgame to take control of the standings.
Duda maintained a one-point lead after nine rounds and appeared well placed to finish first. He chose a cautious approach in the final two games, drawing both balanced positions. Those results kept him near the top but left the door open for Erigaisi, who continued to press for wins.
Erigaisi first overcame Grandmaster Levon Aronian in a tactical struggle. He then entered the last round half a point behind Duda, knowing that a victory against Grandmaster Dmitry Andreikin could bring him level. Erigaisi delivered, completing the chase and finishing with nine points from 11 games.
Duda also scored nine, but Erigaisi claimed first place on tiebreaks. Duda finished second, half a point ahead of Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Woman International Master (WIM) Aleksandra Goryachkina won the top women’s prize with 6.5 points.
The result highlighted the fine margins of blitz chess. Duda’s two late draws were solid choices in isolation, but Erigaisi’s decisive final-round win proved enough to change the outcome. In a tournament decided by tiebreaks, every half-point—and every opportunity to create winning chances—can matter.
Third Tournament: Erigaisi Wins by 1.5 Points
Erigaisi made sure the third title would not depend on tiebreak calculations. He won his first three games, including a victory over Grandmaster Sam Shankland after taking advantage of an unsound sacrifice. He then drew two of his next three games before launching another winning streak.
Four consecutive victories over Grandmasters Andreikin, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Robson, among others, gave Erigaisi clear control of the event. The run included a dramatic time scramble against Maghsoodloo. Erigaisi won on time in an endgame that was drawn with accurate play; a few additional seconds might have allowed Maghsoodloo to find the defensive moves required to hold it.
There was also a missed opportunity for Robson. He reached a winning position against Erigaisi but overlooked a tactical resource that could have changed the result. Erigaisi capitalized, and his tenth-round victory took him to 9/10—one full point ahead of the chasing players.
A draw in the final round against Candidate Master (CM) Yoseph Taher was enough to secure first place. Erigaisi finished on 9.5/11, while Maghsoodloo took second with eight points. Grandmaster Haik Martirosyan placed third on tiebreaks, and IM Polina Shuvalova earned the top women’s prize with seven points.
How 3 0 Thursday Chess Works
3 0 Thursday features three separate weekly Swiss tournaments for verified titled players. Each event consists of 11 rounds played at a 3+0 blitz chess time control: each player starts with three minutes and receives no additional time after making a move. The combined weekly prize fund is $3,000.
That format rewards quick calculation, sound instincts and the ability to manage the clock without losing sight of the position. Players must make practical decisions under pressure, especially in tactical middlegames and endgames where a single missed move can decide the result. This week’s tournaments offered a clear example: Sarana converted a dominant start into a title, while Erigaisi showed how persistence and timely wins can turn a difficult day into a double victory.
A Standout Day for Erigaisi
Winning twice in one day is an exceptional achievement in any chess format. Doing so after an unremarkable first result makes Erigaisi’s performance even more impressive. He adapted quickly, recovered from the disappointment of sixth place and produced two different kinds of title-winning campaigns: a tiebreak chase in the second tournament and a commanding lead in the third.
For fans of online blitz, the day delivered three distinct stories and plenty of high-stakes chess. Sarana’s 10/11 set the standard, Duda and Erigaisi battled for a close second-event finish, and Erigaisi’s final sweep left little doubt about the third. His double win also adds another milestone to a growing record in the 3 0 Thursday series.
