Chennai Grand Masters

Chennai Grand Masters

Tournament information
Sport	Chess
Location	Chennai, India
Established	2023
Format	Round-robin tournament

The Chennai Grand Masters is an annual closed chess tournament held in Chennai, India.

Vincent Keymer won the most recent edition in 2025. ^{[1] [2]}

2023

The 2023 Chennai Grand Masters was organized from 15 December to 21 December at The Leela Palace Chennai. ^[3] It was organized by MGD1, NODWIN Gaming, and ChessBase India, with support from the Tamil Nadu Government and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. ^[4]

The tournament was announced only 4 days prior to its start, which led to criticism that the tournament was held at the last minute to help Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2024. However, FIDE deputy president Viswanathan Anand explained that the organization of the tournament is within the rules. ^{[5] [6]}

After the seventh round, Gukesh and Arjun were tied for the first place with 4.5 points each. The Sonneborn-Berger score was used as the tie-breaker, and Gukesh emerged victorious. ^[7]

1st Chennai Grand Masters, 15–21 December 2023, Chennai, India, Category XIX (2711) ^[8]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points	SB
1	Gukesh Dommaraju  (India)	2720	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	4½	13.75
2	Arjun Erigaisi  (India)	2727	½	Does not appear	0	½	½	1	1	1	4½	13.00
3	Pentala Harikrishna  (India)	2696	½	1	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	4	14.25
4	Pavel Eljanov  (Ukraine)	2691	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	0	1	4	13.25
5	Levon Aronian  (USA)	2723	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	3½	12.25
6	Parham Maghsoodloo  (Iran)	2742	½	0	½	0	½	Does not appear	1	1	3½	10.00
7	Sanan Sjugirov  (Hungary)	2703	0	0	½	1	½	0	Does not appear	½	2½	8.50
8	Alexandr Predke  (Serbia)	2689	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	Does not appear	1½	5.00

2024

The 2024 edition was India's strongest classical super-tournament of the year. It was held from 5 November to 11 November at the Anna Centenary Library. ^[9]

After the seventh round, there was a three-way tie between Levon Aronian, Arjun Erigaisi, and Aravindh Chithambaram. Aravindh was declared the winner after tiebreaks. The challengers section was won by V. Pranav. ^[10]

Masters

2nd Chennai Grand Masters, 5–11 November 2024, Chennai, India, Category XIX (2725) ^[11]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points
1	Aravindh Chithambaram  (India)	2706	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	4½
2	Levon Aronian  (USA)	2739	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	½	4½
3	Arjun Erigaisi  (India)	2799	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	1	1	4½
4	Amin Tabatabaei  (Iran)	2686	½	½	0	Does not appear	1	½	1	½	4
5	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (France)	2737	½	0	½	0	Does not appear	1	½	½	3
6	Parham Maghsoodloo  (Iran)	2712	0	0	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	2½
7	Alexey Sarana  (Serbia)	2679	½	½	0	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	2½
8	Vidit Gujrathi  (India)	2739	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	2½

Tiebreaks

The tiebreak was a two-game blitz match, followed by an armageddon if necessary. The time control was 3 minutes with a 2-second increment per move. ^[12] Aravindh was given a bye because he had a better score in terms of direct encounters, beating Arjun in their game. ^[10] He then won the final match against Levon Aronian, who proceeded after holding a draw as black in the armageddon game.

	Semifinals					Finals
						1	Aravindh Chithambaram	2
	2	Levon Aronian	1½			2	Levon Aronian	0
	3	Arjun Erigaisi	1½

Challengers

1st Chennai Grand Masters Challengers, 5–11 November 2024, Chennai, India, Category XIV (2594) ^[13]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points
1	Pranav V	2602	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	5½
2	Leon Luke Mendonca	2631	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	1	1	5
3	Raunak Sadhwani	2677	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	4
4	Karthikeyan Murali	2625	0	0	0	Does not appear	1	½	1	1	3½
5	Abhimanyu Puranik	2652	0	½	½	0	Does not appear	1	½	1	3½
6	Pranesh M	2580	½	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	3½
7	Harika Dronavalli	2493	0	0	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	2
8	Vaishali Rameshbabu	2490	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	Does not appear	1

2025

The 2025 edition was India's strongest classical super-tournament of the year. It was held from 7 August to 15 August at the Hyatt Regency Chennai, after a one-day delay caused by a fire incident at the players’ hotel. ^[14]

Vincent Keymer won the tournament with one round to spare. Pranesh M won in the Challengers section. ^[15]

Masters

3rd Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters, 7–16 August 2025, Chennai, India, Category XIX (2700) ^[16]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Vincent Keymer  (Germany)	2730	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	7
2	Anish Giri  (Netherlands)	2748	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	5
3	Arjun Erigaisi  (India)	2776	½	½	Does not appear	½	0	1	½	½	½	1	5
4	Karthikeyan Murali  (India)	2658	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	½	5
5	Nihal Sarin  (India)	2692	0	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	0	0	1	1	4½
6	Awonder Liang  (United States)	2696	0	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	1	½	4½
7	Vidit Gujrathi  (India)	2720	½	½	½	0	1	½	Does not appear	½	½	0	4
8	Jorden van Foreest  (Netherlands)	2697	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	4
9	Pranav V  (India)	2597	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	3
10	Ray Robson  (United States)	2687	0	½	0	½	0	½	1	0	½	Does not appear	3

Challengers

2nd Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters Challengers, 7–16 August 2025, Chennai, India, Category XIV (2558) ^[17]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Pranesh M	2589	Does not appear	½	1	½	1	½	0	1	1	1	6½
2	Adhiban Baskaran	2534	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	½	6
3	Abhimanyu Puranik	2635	0	½	Does not appear	1	0	1	1	½	1	1	6
4	Leon Luke Mendonca	2606	½	0	0	Does not appear	½	1	1	1	1	1	6
5	P. Iniyan	2586	0	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	5½
6	Diptayan Ghosh	2576	½	0	0	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	1	1	4½
7	Harshavardhan G B	2454	1	0	0	0	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	1	4
8	Aryan Chopra	2634	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	Does not appear	1	1	4
9	Harika Dronavalli	2487	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	Does not appear	1	1½
10	Vaishali Rameshbabu	2476	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	Does not appear	1

References

1. Sundar, C. Shyam (14 August 2025). "The strongest classical tournament I have won: Keymer". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 15 August 2025.
2. McGourty, Colin (14 August 2025). "Keymer Wins Chennai Grand Masters With Round To Spare". Chess.com. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
3. Venkatesan, S. Prasanna (5 November 2024). "Chennai Grandmasters | Arjun rallies to post a win over Vidit on opening day". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
4. "Chennai Grand Masters 2023 - India's strongest ever Classical Super Tournament - ChessBase India". www.chessbase.in. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
5. Venkata Krishna B. (16 December 2023). "Chess controversy: Is Chennai Grand Masters held just to help Gukesh & Erigaisi make candidates cut? 'Within rules' says Viswanathan Anand". The Indian Express. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
6. Mayank (18 December 2023). "Anand weighs in on Chennai Grand Masters controversy, says tournament within FIDE rules". Sportstar. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
7. "Gukesh wins title on tie-break, becomes frontrunner for FIDE Circuit Candidates berth". The Hindu. 21 December 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
8. "Chennai Grand Masters 2023". Chess-results.com.
9. Team Sportstar (4 November 2024). "Chennai Grand Masters 2024 guide: Preview, player list, pairing, full schedule, FIDE circuit points at stake". Sportstar. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
10. Venkatesan, S. Prasanna (11 November 2024). "Aravindh stuns Aronian to claim top prize". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
11. "Chennai Grand Masters 2024". Chess-results.com.
12. Saravanan (VSaravanan), Venkatachalam (11 November 2024). "Aravindh Wins 2024 Chennai Grand Masters Through Tiebreak". Chess.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
13. "Chennai Grand Masters Challengers 2024". Chess-results.com.
14. "Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters Brochure" (PDF). aicf.in. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
15. McGourty, Colin. "Keymer Crosses 2750, Giri Takes 2nd, Pranesh Wins Challengers". Chess.com.
16. "Chennai Grand Masters 2025". Chess-results.com.
17. "Chennai Grand Masters - Challengers 2025". Chess-results.com.