Chennai Grand Masters 2026: Firouzja Beat Gukesh To Extend Lead After Second Round

Chennai Grand Masters 2026: Firouzja beat Gukesh to extend lead after second round (Image Source: IANS)

Chennai Grand Masters: French Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja eked out yet another gruelling victory to register his second straight win in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India’s most prestigious classical chess tournament, at the Westin Hotel in Chennai on Friday.

Firouzja, who had defeated GM M Pranesh with black pieces on the opening day, got the better of world champion Dommaraju Gukesh after 69 moves to take his tally to two points after two rounds.

Organised by MGD1, the tournament witnesses eight grandmasters face off in a double-round robin format and offers a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points.

After Deepraj Mukherjee, General Manager of Westin Chennai Velachery, made the ceremonial first move in the game between Firouzja and Gukesh, the Frenchman opted for a Ruy Lopez opening with white. It looked like Gukesh could hold out against the French GM in a knight-pawn ending, but a pawn sacrifice by Firouzja opened the door for a clinical win.

M Pranesh, who had lost his opening round with white, did not take any chances with black pieces against GM Dmitry Andreikin and settled for a draw by repeating in just 18 moves.

GM Arjun Erigaisi also played it safe against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov with black pieces, and the Uzbek signed the peace treaty after 43 moves. GM Nihal Sarin also held Hans Niemann to a draw after a marathon 132-move game in which he thwarted all the moves of his US opponent to gain the upper hand.

Earlier, Firouzja registered the sole win of the opening day against Indian GM M Pranesh in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India’s most prestigious classical chess tournament. Firouzja, playing black, defeated Pranesh in a marathon game that lasted 79 moves, with the Frenchman making the most of his pawn on the f-file in a rook-pawn ending.

Results (Round 2)

GM Hans Niemann (1) drew with GM Nihal Sarin (1)

GM Alireza Firouzja (2) beat GM D Gukesh (0.5)

GM Dmitry Andreikin (1) drew with GM M Pranesh 0.5

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (1) vs GM Arjun Erigaisi (1)

Round 3 Pairings:

GM Arjun Erigaisi vs Hans Niemann

GM M Pranesh vs GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

GM Arjun Erigaisi vs Hans Niemann

GM Nihal Sarin vs GM Alireza Firouzja

Article Source: IANS