Chennai Grand Masters 2025: Arjun Erigaisi battles back to hold Vincent Keymer in tense draw
Chennai: Ahead of the Chennai Grand Masters, Vincent Keymer told TOI his immediate goal was to get himself in good shape in classical chess to qualify for the Candidates Tournament and promised to give his all.
After six rounds here, the young German GM is still unvanquished and well on course towards his target.
On Tuesday, the headline clash between the table topper Keymer and top seed Arjun Erigaisi concluded in a gripping stalemate, leaving Keymer (4.5 points) clinging to a one-point lead with three rounds to spare. Playing with the black pieces, Arjun chose the 'Slav defence' against Keymer's 'queen's pawn' opening.
Keymer appeared well-prepared and established a promising advantage.
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As the game unfolded, much of Keymer's advantage gradually slipped away with Arjun deliberately complicating the positions. Known for thriving under pressure, Arjun defended with remarkable precision and even maintained composure in a scenario where a single misstep could have ended the game within ten moves.
Despite Keymer holding early momentum, time trouble and minor inaccuracies allowed Arjun to claw back.
Opting for a practical approach, Arjun played on Keymer's clock rather than hunting for perfect moves and ran away with the half-point.
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With the lead still tight, Keymer will next face Awonder Liang (3.5), who has surged into joint-second spot alongside Arjun (3.5). At the same time, Awonder crossed the coveted 2700 rating mark after a commanding win over V Pranav with the black pieces.
While the spotlight was on the Arjun-Keymer clash, on the adjacent board, close friends Anish Giri and Vidit Gujrathi waged a fierce battle before ultimately settling for a draw in their 109-move marathon. The Indian pushed hard with some aggressive play and came agonisingly close to victory after an error by Anish but fell short. The game ended peacefully when both players agreed to a rook trade that secured the draw.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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