India, Dec. 31 -- Arjun Erigaisi topped off a challenging year for himself in chess with a strong finish at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, Qatar, as he backed up his bronze medal in the rapid event with yet another third-place finish in the blitz category.

Erigaisi fell to Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the semifinal round, but did enough to finish with podium finishes in both legs of this tournament in the Middle East. In doing so, he becomes only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to earn medals in both rounds of the Rapid and Blitz Championship, with the legendary Indian grandmaster having accomplished the feat with rapid gold and blitz bronze in Riyadh 2017.

Erigaisi registered a big win against eventual champion ...