Chennai Grand Masters 2025: Germany No. 1 Vincent Keymer takes sole lead after Arjun Erigaisi held to draw
Round 2 of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, being held at the Hyatt Regency in Chennai, delivered high drama and decisive results in both the Masters and Challengers sections.
Germany's Vincent Keymer emerged as the sole leader in the Masters category with a clinical victory over India's V Pranav, taking his score to 2/2.
The biggest upset of the day came courtesy of American GM Ray Robson, who defeated Vidit Gujrathi in a sharp tactical battle.
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Top seed Arjun Erigaisi was held to a solid draw by Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest, while Anish Giri and Nihal Sarin played out a balanced encounter. The clash between Karthikeyan Murali and Awonder Liang also ended in a draw.
Masters – Round 2 Results:
Vincent Keymer (1) def. V Pranav (0)
Ray Robson (1) def. Vidit Gujrathi (0)
Arjun Erigaisi (½) drew Jorden van Foreest (½)
Anish Giri (½) drew Nihal Sarin (½)
Karthikeyan Murali (½) drew Awonder Liang (½)
In the Challengers section, GM Iniyan P impressed with a dominant win over Harika Dronavalli, while Abhimanyu Puranik bounced back with a crucial victory against Leon Luke Mendonca.
The remaining games—Diptayan vs Pranesh, Adhiban vs Vaishali, and Harshavardhan vs Aryan Chopra—all ended in tightly contested draws.
Challengers – Round 2 Results:
Harshavardhan GB (½) drew Aryan Chopra (½)
Diptayan Ghosh (½) drew M Pranesh (½)
Iniyan P (1) def. Harika Dronavalli (0)
Adhiban B (½) drew Vaishali R (½)
Abhimanyu Puranik (1) def. Leon Luke Mendonca (0)
Now in its third edition, the Chennai Grand Masters has established itself as India's premier classical-format tournament, organised by MGD1. The ten-day, nine-round event features 20 elite players across two categories and offers a prize pool of Rs 1 Crore, along with vital FIDE Circuit points.
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