Latest news with #AwonderLiang
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chennai Grand Masters 2025: Vincent Keymer closes in on title with win
Vincent Keymer (X) Chennai: Vincent Keymer has been an unstoppable force in Chennai and is showing no signs of slowing down. At the end of the seventh round, he remains untouchable, and that flawless run propelled him to the World No. 10 spot in live ratings for the first time. The German youngster (5.5 points) converted his opening advantage into a win against Awonder Liang and stretched his lead to 1.5 points, inching closer to the masters title. A better result than Arjun Erigaisi and Karthikeyan Murali — joint second on the table with four points — on the penultimate day could all but seal the title for him. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! After the win, Keymer said: 'It has been a nice game and the tournament has been really going well for me. I got surprised by the opening and was down for quite a bit, but the game just developed. We reached a rather asymmetrical position which was probably slightly better for me. Then a big mistake from him made me feel it was a game I should win.' A few boards away, Anish Giri is making waves of a different kind. Seven draws in as many games, and the internet troll of 'Drawnish Giri' is doing the rounds again. Speaking after the stalemate with Arjun, who is down with flu, Anish said: 'It's (the troll) probably not entirely unfair because I am, again, making a lot of draws. It's because I'm a very good defender. When I have a bad tournament, I often manage not to lose those bad games. Had I been a worse defender, I'd have lost a couple and nobody would be bullying me... so I'm happy with what I have.' The Dutch GM recalled one event where his defence faltered and the losses piled up. 'At that moment I told myself: 'never again will you be ungrateful and annoyed when you make all the draws'.' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Impressive Keymer extends his advantage to 1.5 points
Vincent Keymer just keeps getting better. The German GM was in his element, beating American Awonder Liang to notch up his fourth victory on Wednesday and extend his lead in the Masters section of the Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament to 1.5 points with just two rounds to play. With top seed Arjun Erigaisi, suffering from the effects of a cold, settling for a quick draw against the Netherlands' Anish Giri, the impressive Keymer took a huge step towards the top prize, picking up a full point with black pieces. 'I mean, I don't think it's a secret because he coughs a little bit. So, he has some throat issue. Hopefully, it's not a big deal. But I can imagine that you can't perform at your best when you have such an issue,' said the Dutchman after the match. The star of the day was Chennai's own Karthikeyan Murali, who wore down the higher-rated Vidit Gujrathi in a 72-move match. V. Pranav, the current World junior champion, defended superbly from a seemingly lost position to hold Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest in 98 moves. Laudable display The 18-year-old Chennai lad, at 2597 ELO, the lowest-rated player in the Masters event, continued his impressive run after having previously held Anish and Arjun to draws. Nihal Sarin bounced back after Tuesday's loss to get the better of American Ray Robson to take his tally to three points. In the Challengers section, M. Pranesh outclassed a struggling R. Vaishali to share the lead with Leon Luke Mendonca, a winner over Diptayan Ghosh, on 5.5 points. Abhimanyu Puranik, who split the point with Aryan Chopra, trails the leaders by half-a-point. The results (seventh round): Masters: Vidit Gujrathi (3) lost to Karthikeyan Murali (4), Arjun Erigaisi (4) drew with Anish Giri (3.5), Awonder Liang (USA, 3.5) lost to Vincent Keymer (Ger, 5.5), Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 3.5) drew with V. Pranav (2.5), Nihal Sarin (2) bt Ray Robson (USA, 2.5). Challengers: D. Harika (1.5) lost to G. B. Harshavardhan (3), M Pranesh (5.5) bt R. Vaishali (1), Aryan Chopra (2) drew with Abhimanyu Puranik (5), Diptayan Ghosh (3.5) lost to Leon Luke Mendonca (5.5), Pa. Iniyan (4) drew with B. Adhiban (4). Eighth round pairings: Masters: Karthikeyan vs. Nihal, Pranav vs. Robson, Keymer vs. van Foreest, Anish vs. Awonder, Vidit vs. Arjun. Challengers: Harshavardhan vs. Adhiban, Mendonca vs. Iniyan, Abhimanyu vs. Diptayan, Vaishali vs. Aryan, Harika vs. Pranesh.
NDTV
07-08-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Arjun Erigaisi Wins, Nihal Sarin Loses In Opening Round Of Chennai Chess
India's Arjun Erigaisi delivered a commanding performance against American Awonder Liang, while compatriot Nihal Sarin lost to Germany's Vincent Keymer in the opening round of the Chennai Grandmasters Chess tournament on Thursday. World No. 5 Erigaisi thus earned a full point in the Rs 1 crore round-robin tournament, which will be played over nine rounds in classical format across Masters and Challengers segments. One of the most anticipated contests between two Chennai Grandmasters, Pranav V and Karthikeyan Murali, ended in a well-fought draw, while the top-board clash between former world No. 6 Anish Giri and American GM Ray Robson also ended in a stalemate. Another Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi too was held to a draw by Dutch player Jorden van Foreest. In the Challengers section, top-seeded Indian GMs also made their presence felt. Diptayan Ghosh, Leon Luke Mendonca, and M Pranesh registered opening round wins, setting the early pace in a tightly packed field. GM R Vaishali, Abhimanyu Puranik, and Iniyan Pa were held to draws, while D Harika, Aryan Chopra, and Harshavardhan GB suffered opening-round defeats. The 10-day, nine-round event features 20 elite players across two sections, Masters and Challengers, and offers FIDE Circuit points crucial for 2026 Candidates qualification. Results: (Round 1) Masters: Arjun Erigaisi (1) bt Awonder Liang (0), Vincent Keymer (1) bt Nihal Sarin (0), Anish Giri (½) drew Ray Robson (½), Vidit Gujrathi (½) drew Jorden van Foreest (½), Pranav V (½) drew Karthikeyan Murali (½). Challengers: Diptayan Ghosh (1) bt D. Harika (0), Leon Luke Mendonca (1) bt Harshavardhan GB (0), M Pranesh (1) bt Aryan Chopra (0), Adhiban Baskaran (½) drew Abhimanyu Puranik (½), R. Vaishali (½) drew Iniyan Pa (½).
News18
07-08-2025
- Sport
- News18
Erigaisi wins, Nihal loses in opening round of Chennai chess
Agency: PTI Chennai, Aug 7 (PTI) India's Arjun Erigaisi delivered a commanding performance against American Awonder Liang, while compatriot Nihal Sarin lost to Germany's Vincent Keymer in the opening round of the Chennai Grandmasters Chess tournament on Thursday. World No. 5 Erigaisi thus earned a full point in the Rs 1 crore round-robin tournament, which will be played over nine rounds in classical format across Masters and Challengers segments. One of the most anticipated contests between two Chennai Grandmasters, Pranav V and Karthikeyan Murali, ended in a well-fought draw, while the top-board clash between former world No. 6 Anish Giri and American GM Ray Robson also ended in a stalemate. Another Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi too was held to a draw by Dutch player Jorden van Foreest. In the Challengers section, top-seeded Indian GMs also made their presence felt. Diptayan Ghosh, Leon Luke Mendonca, and M Pranesh registered opening round wins, setting the early pace in a tightly packed field. GM R Vaishali, Abhimanyu Puranik, and Iniyan Pa were held to draws, while D Harika, Aryan Chopra, and Harshavardhan GB suffered opening-round defeats. The 10-day, nine-round event features 20 elite players across two sections, Masters and Challengers, and offers FIDE Circuit points crucial for 2026 Candidates qualification. Results: (Round 1) Masters: Arjun Erigaisi (1) bt Awonder Liang (0), Vincent Keymer (1) bt Nihal Sarin (0), Anish Giri (½) drew Ray Robson (½), Vidit Gujrathi (½) drew Jorden van Foreest (½), Pranav V (½) drew Karthikeyan Murali (½). Challengers: Diptayan Ghosh (1) bt D. Harika (0), Leon Luke Mendonca (1) bt Harshavardhan GB (0), M Pranesh (1) bt Aryan Chopra (0), Adhiban Baskaran (½) drew Abhimanyu Puranik (½), R. Vaishali (½) drew Iniyan Pa (½). PTI AM AM PDS PDS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
From Dutch no. 1 Anish Giri to German No. 1 Vincent Keymer: Top 5 foreigners to look out for at Chennai Grand Masters 2025
The Chennai Grand Masters 2025, one of Asia's most prestigious classical chess tournaments, returns this August with a world-class field featuring elite veterans and rising international stars. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Held in India's chess capital, the event, set to be held between August 6 and 15, has earned a reputation for its competitive round-robin format, high preparation levels, and thrilling matchups. With several global talents set to participate, here are five foreign players who could make a major impact this year. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. 1. Anish Giri (The Netherlands): A mainstay in the world's top-10, Anish Giri, 31, is known for his deep opening preparation and rock-solid technique. Runner-up at the 2021 Candidates and a former World Cup semifinalist, he consistently performs at the highest level. In recent years, he has added more dynamism to his play without sacrificing precision. Expect controlled aggression and elite-level consistency from the Dutch GM in Chennai. 2. Awonder Liang (USA): A former North American U18 champion, Awonder Liang, 22, has quickly risen through the ranks with his fearless, tactical style. Known for sharp Sicilian and King's Indian battles, he thrives in complex, high-risk positions. At just 21, he combines youthful energy with deep preparation. Liang's aggressive approach makes him a dangerous wildcard in Chennai. 3. Vincent Keymer (Germany): Germany's top-ranked GM Vincent Keymer, now 20, has impressed with his balanced style and rapid improvement on the international stage. Strong in both positional play and sharp tactics, he's known for his deep opening ideas and calm under pressure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A top-10 finisher in major European events and the winner of the German leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, he's poised for a breakthrough. Chennai could be his next big statement. 4. Jorden van Foreest (The Netherlands): Winner of the 2021 Tata Steel Masters, Jorden van Foreest, 26, is known for his creative, unorthodox style and fearless approach. He often surprises opponents with offbeat openings and thrives in chaotic, unbalanced positions. A former Dutch champion, his games are always dynamic and entertaining. Expect fireworks whenever he's on the board in Chennai. 5. Ray Robson (USA): A seasoned grandmaster and former US Championship finalist, Ray Robson, 22, is known for his solid, strategic style and deep positional understanding. Strong in the English Opening and Queen's Gambit lines, he brings consistency and composure to every game. With years of experience in elite team events, he's a steady podium contender. Chennai suits his calm, calculating approach perfectly.
