GM Leon Luke Mendonca: Vincent Keymer completed a landmark triumph at the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, securing the title with a round to spare and becoming the first sole champion in the tournament’s history. The 20-year-old German, playing with white pieces, drew his match against Dutchman Jordan van Foreest, while results elsewhere confirmed his tournament victory.
Keymer’s dominance over a star-studded field also catapulted him into the world’s Top 10 on the live rating list, underlining his arrival among the game’s elite.
Now in its third year, the Chennai Grandmasters 2025 is India’s strongest classical chess event. Organised by MGD1, it features two elite 10-player round-robin sections - Masters and Challengers - across nine rounds in nine days. With a Rs 1 crore prize pool, the Masters winner earns Rs 25 lakh, the Challengers winner gets Rs 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.
