The tournament will witness eight grandmasters face off in a double-round robin format, with all games to begin at 3:00 PM IST starting Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
There are four Indians in the fray along with four foreign GMs in the tournament that offers a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
According to the draw, last edition\u2019s Challenger winner M. Pranesh will face Frenchman Alireza Firouzja with white pieces in the opening round, while Arjun Erigaisi will take on Dmitry Andreikin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The only match without any Indian representation on the opening day will witness Uzbekistan\u2019s GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov face off against the USA\u2019s GM Hans Niemann.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Chennai Grand Masters tournament has become an important milestone in the chess journey of many players, as Gukesh won the crown in the inaugural edition and went on to qualify for the Candidates and eventually win the world title. He will be the only former champion in the fray this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking ahead of the start of yet another edition of the tournament, Sreekar Channapragada, Co-founder of MGD1, said, \"The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2026 is not just an elite tournament but a powerful platform for India\u2019s chess talent to showcase their mettle against the world\u2019s best on home soil. This year\u2019s competition has once again attracted some of the world\u2019s best players, and I am confident that the quality of chess will mesmerise the fans like always.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Round 1 Pairing: <\/p>\r\n\r\n
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs GM Hans Niemann<\/p>\r\n\r\n
GM Arjun Erigaisi vs GM Dmitry Andreikin<\/p>\r\n\r\n
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs GM Hans Niemann<\/p>\r\n\r\n
GM D Gukesh vs GM Nihal Sarin<\/p>\r\n\r\n