World No. 5 Arjun Erigaisi and Germany’s Vincent Keymer began their campaigns with strong wins on Day 1 of the Chennai Grandmasters 2025, which got underway on Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency. Erigaisi showcased dominance to beat American GM Awonder Liang, while Keymer produced a technically sound performance to outplay India’s Nihal Sarin. These were the only decisive results in the Masters section, with the remaining games ending in draws. A high-profile Chennai derby between Pranav V and Karthikeyan Murali ended in a hard-fought draw. Former World No. 6 Anish Giri split points with American GM Ray Robson, and Vidit Gujrathi held Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest to a draw.Masters – Round 1 Results:
- Arjun Erigaisi 1–0 Awonder Liang
- Vincent Keymer 1–0 Nihal Sarin
- Anish Giri ½–½ Ray Robson
- Vidit Gujrathi ½–½ Jorden van Foreest
- Pranav V ½–½ Karthikeyan Murali
In the Challengers section, Indian GMs Diptayan Ghosh, Leon Luke Mendonca, and M Pranesh made early statements with first-round victories. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu and GMs Abhimanyu Puranik and Iniyan Pa drew their games, while senior players Harika Dronavalli, Aryan Chopra, and Harshavardhan GB faced opening round losses.Challengers – Round 1 Results:
- Diptayan Ghosh 1–0 Harika Dronavalli
- Leon Mendonca 1–0 Harshavardhan GB
- M Pranesh 1–0 Aryan Chopra
- Adhiban Baskaran ½–½ Abhimanyu Puranik
- Vaishali Rameshbabu ½–½ Iniyan Pa
The third edition of the Chennai Grandmasters is now India’s leading classical chess tournament, featuring 20 elite players across Masters and Challengers categories. With rupees 1 Crore prize pool and valuable FIDE Circuit points at stake
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