The Chennai Grand Masters 2025 day 1, brought some intense classical chess battles to the city of Chennai. This prestigious tournament, which is being held at the Hyatt Regency, features two sections: the Masters, with top international and Indian grandmasters, and the Challengers, showcasing emerging Indian talents. So, what were the results? Let’s find out.
Chennai Grand Masters 2025 Day 1 Recap
On Chennai Grand Masters 2025 Day 1, the Masters section saw some impressive wins and key draws. Arjun Erigaisi, the top seed and one of India’s brightest chess stars, kicked off his campaign with a strong victory over Awonder Liang. Vincent Keymer made an impressive start by defeating Nihal Sarin, the recent esports chess sensation.
Other matches in the Masters included hard-fought draws by Anish Giri against Ray Robson, and Vidit Gujrathi holding his ground against Jorden van Foreest. Other players like Pranav Venkatesh and Murali Karthikeyan also put on solid performances.
Meanwhile, in the Challengers section, the action was equally intense. This group featured emerging Indian grandmasters such as Abhimanyu Puranik, Aryan Chopra, and Harika Dronavalli.
Chennai Grand Masters 2025 Day 1 Full Results
Here are the full results from Chennai Grand Masters 2025 Day 1:
Read More
Masters Section
| Player 1 | Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Arjun Erigaisi | 1–0 | Awonder Liang |
| Vincent Keymer | 1–0 | Nihal Sarin |
| Anish Giri | ½–½ | Ray Robson |
| Vidit Gujrathi | ½–½ | Jorden van Foreest |
| Pranav Venkatesh | ½–½ | Karthikeyan Murali |
Challengers Section
| Player 1 | Score | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Diptayan Ghosh | 1–0 | Harika Dronavalli |
| Leon Mendonca | 1–0 | Harshavardhan GB |
| M Pranesh | 1–0 | Aryan Chopra |
| Adhiban Baskaran | ½–½ | Abhimanyu Puranik |
| Vaishali Rameshbabu | ½–½ | Iniyan Pa |
What’s next after Chennai Grand Masters 2025 Day 1?
The tournament will continue with rounds every day, following a classical time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus a 30-second increment per move. Players will face each other in a rigorous round-robin format until all nine rounds are completed.
For those in the Masters section, every half-point counts toward the ultimate goal of winning the title and earning valuable FIDE points that could impact future qualifications in global championships. The Challengers, on the other hand, will be striving to prove themselves and possibly earn invites to elite events in the future.
Also read: Kaggle Game Arena Day 2: Which AI Made It To The Final
