Chennai Grandmasters Chess Tournament: GM Karthikeyan Murali lit up Round 7 of the 2025 Chennai Grandmasters Chess Tournament with a stunning win over GM Vidit Gujrathi, prevailing with the black pieces after a gritty battle. Meanwhile, German GM Vincent Keymer strengthened his grip on the title race with a clinical win against American GM Awonder Liang, leaving the former 1.5 points ahead of his closest competitors, Liang included.
Now in its third year, the Chennai Grandmasters 2025 is India’s strongest classical chess event and features two elite 10-player round-robin sections—Masters and Challengers—across nine rounds in nine days. With a ₹1 Crore prize pool, the Masters winner earns ₹25 lakh, the Challengers winner ₹7 lakh, and a coveted 2026 Masters berth. The event also offers FIDE Circuit points, with the Masters champion securing 24.5 points toward the 2026 Candidates qualification.
Keymer’s nearest challenger, Arjun Erigaisi, was held to a draw by Dutch star Anish Giri—a setback for the Indian’s title hopes with only two rounds to play. Elsewhere in the Masters, GM Nihal Sarin defeated GM Ray Robson, while GM Jorden van Foreest and GM V Pranav shared the spoils in a balanced contest.
