Chennai Grand Masters: Firouzja Seals Title After Final-round Draw With Arjun Erigaisi

Chennai Grand Masters: Firouzja seals title after final-round draw with Arjun Erigaisi (Image Source: IANS)

The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel: French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja emerged champion of the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters after holding India's Arjun Erigaisi to a draw in the seventh and final round at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel on Wednesday.

Needing only a draw to secure the title, Firouzja comfortably navigated the final-round encounter with the Indian Grandmaster, signing peace after 41 moves to finish on 4.5 points from seven rounds. The 22-year-old remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, registering two victories and five draws.

Firouzja entered the concluding round with a half-point lead over Erigaisi and Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The title race effectively tilted in the Frenchman's favour after Abdusattorov, who needed a victory with the black pieces to stay in contention, suffered a 37-move defeat to Russia's Dmitry Andreikin.

With his closest challenger out of the running, Firouzja required only a draw against Erigaisi and safely steered the game into a rook-and-pawn endgame before sharing the point to clinch the title.

The elite eight-player round-robin tournament carried a prize purse of ₹75 lakh along with valuable FIDE Circuit points. Firouzja's triumph earned him the winner's cheque of ₹25 lakh (approximately USD 26,500).

Andreikin, who also completed the tournament unbeaten, finished joint second on four points alongside Erigaisi. Abdusattorov shared fourth place with Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and M. Pranesh, with all three ending on 3.5 points.

The elite eight-player round-robin tournament carried a prize purse of ₹75 lakh along with valuable FIDE Circuit points. Firouzja's triumph earned him the winner's cheque of ₹25 lakh (approximately USD 26,500).

In the remaining seventh-round games, Nihal Sarin and M. Pranesh played out a draw, while Andreikin's victory over Abdusattorov proved decisive in shaping the final standings.

Article Source: IANS