Latest news with #ChennaiGM
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Breaking into top-10 extra special: Keymer
Vincent Keymer Chennai: Moments after capping off his Chennai Grand Masters campaign with an impressive final-round win over Ray Robson, champion Vincent Keymer was surrounded by many children who were eager for photos and autographs here on Friday. The 20-year-old from Germany, already a crowd favourite, obliged each one with a smile. En route his triumph, he also broke into the world's top-10 in the live ratings for the first time. In an interaction with TOI, Keymer said the trophy is special, but breaking into the top-10 is a milestone he would cherish more. He also spoke about the challenges of being a professional chess player in his home country and more. Excerpts: On the Chennai GM win and whether he expected to go the distance: It has been a great tournament and finishing it with a win is special. Winning 9/9 would have been a bit too good of a tournament. Because this tournament is difficult and even going to a plus score is also difficult, a 7 out of 9 result is a really fantastic one. In terms of classical chess, this is certainly one of my biggest assets. If you go to a tournament where you're the underdog, you want to win. On why he considers himself as an underdog: Not exactly, but Arjun (Erigaisi) had the highest rating and after him, there's Anish (Giri), Vidit (Gujrathi), and then me, we had more or less similar ratings. On what was more special, winning the event or breaking into top-10: This win is special because it's the strongest classical tournament that I have won, but breaking into top-10 is more special. On how this win will help him in the World Cup, scheduled in India later this year: I've been to India a few times. I don't think the conditions will bother me so much. But of course, it will be a nice feeling having played such a good tournament the last time I've been in India. I think it will leave me going to the World Cup with a pretty good feeling. On the Candidates race: I will look at the standings. Pragg (R Praggnanandhaa leads the FIDE circuit board), he kind of won so many top events and is leading by a big margin. Of course, I will try the other routes. I mean, it's incredibly difficult because it's an aim for so many players and very few get those spots. But yeah, for sure I will try my best. Getting there will be a huge achievement. On what would winning a Candidates seat mean back home: I mean, chess is not as big in Germany as it is in India. But I think it's improving. If my results improve and I make more headlines on the international stage, it will also help make chess more popular in Germany. Basically, in Germany, it's not easy being a professional chess player. If you're not at the very top, it's not that easy to make a living. Or in other words, people who play chess often are also very capable of doing things in other fields. And currently in Germany, you get support and financial support only if you're getting to the top. I mean, there are a few players who do it because it's their passion and they are very good. We have a very strong national team of five players who are all in the top-100, more or less. It's just that there is potential for more. On how he deals with the demands of the game: I think it's important to have little breaks. Because for us now, even when we don't play tournaments, there's something else in chess. We have a training camp, or we have a tournament coming up and we need to prepare. It becomes very important to take some time off chess, both for relaxation and to be hungry for chess. Like, if you are only playing, you never feel the urge to get back to chess. But when you have a little break, you feel like you miss it. On his coach Peter Leko (Leko was one of Vladimir Kramnik's seconds during the 2008 World Championship against Viswanathan Anand): We have been calling pretty much every day discussing what to prepare and how to approach the next game. He has been a huge help here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chennai Grand Masters: Arjun Erigaisi off the blocks with win
Arjun Erigaisi CHENNAI: Ahead of the Chennai Grand Masters, Arjun Erigaisi emphasised the importance of gaining confidence in the lead-up to the upcoming World Championship cycle events. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! On Thursday, the world No. 5 took the first step towards making a turnaround in classical chess as he began his Chennai GM campaign with a victory over American youngster Awonder Liang. Arjun, playing with white pieces, was largely in control during his 49-move win and was the only Indian victor in the masters category on the day. Poll Do you think Arjun Erigaisi can maintain his momentum after a strong start? Yes, definitely Maybe, depends on the next matches No, he might struggle After displaying solidity in the first round, the 21-year-old expressed satisfaction. 'It does not matter if it is the opening day or not, it is always nice to win. I believe that I made some inaccuracies. But apart from those, I played well overall,' said Arjun. The India No. 2 stressed that making a positive start would not be of much help if he does not maintain the momentum. 'It is nice to start with a win but it does necessarily mean much. In the previous classical tournaments (this year), I started well but did not finish well,' Arjun added. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hindustan Times
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Chennai Grand Masters postponed after fire incident at tournament's venue
The start of the third edition of the Chennai Grand Masters chess tournament has been deferred by a day after a fire broke out late Tuesday night at the event's venue, the Hyatt Regency hotel in Chennai. All participating players are safe and were temporarily shifted to a nearby hotel. Arjun Erigaisi from India during the first game of Norway Chess in Finansparken in Stavanger, Norway(AP) The tournament, which was originally scheduled to begin on Wednesday, will now kick off on Thursday following fresh safety inspections at the hotel. 'Fire at Hotel Hyatt Regency last night, the venue of the Chennai GM. All the players are safe and shifted to another hotel nearby. Tournament postponed by a day,' Indian Grandmaster and tournament director Srinath Narayanan posted on X. Although players were later brought back to the hotel, the organisers opted to push the tournament by a day as a precaution. "Close to midnight there was an emergency in the Hotel Hyatt Regency in Chennai. Due to an electric fire on the ninth floor, the entire hotel became smoky and everyone had to evacuate the hotel before it became difficult to breathe," ChessBase India reported. Speaking to PTI, the organisers confirmed that while the schedule has been slightly adjusted, the tournament will still conclude on August 15 as planned. "The timings will be the same, and the tournament will end on August 15 itself. There was a rest day in between, and that is no longer part of the schedule," they said. Leading names feature in tournament The Chennai Grand Masters, boasting a prize pool of INR 1 crore, features a strong field including Indian No.1 Arjun Erigaisi, experienced campaigner Vidit Gujrathi, and Dutch star Anish Giri. Erigaisi, currently ranked World No. 5, will begin his campaign against American prodigy Awonder Liang. One of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament, a clash between Erigaisi and Gujrathi, is set to take place in Round 8 on August 14. Unlike the previous two editions which were played over seven rounds, this year's tournament will see 19 Grandmasters in action and will offer key FIDE Circuit points. These points could prove crucial in qualifying for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, as was the case with reigning world champion D Gukesh, whose breakthrough at this event last year earned him a spot in the Candidates.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chennai Grand Masters: Arjun Erigaisi's chance to turn around indifferent year
Arjun Erigaisi Chennai: Arjun Erigaisi has had an indifferent run in classical chess this year. Currently ranked fifth in the world and second among Indians, he looked a shadow of his usual self in the three tournaments that he battled in, not making the top-three in any of them. The 21-year-old's over-aggression cost him dear at Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee as he was forced to settle for a 10th-place finish. He came fifth among six participants at Norway Chess in Stavanger and finished fourth at Uzchess Cup in Tashkent. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! But Arjun is back with renewed hope for the Chennai Grand Masters, where he will be one of the top contenders for the masters crown. The Chennai event, which will begin on Wednesday, will feature 20 players, 10 each in the masters and challengers categories. 'There were no great results in particular, not just in classical but overall. My classical chess has been disappointing starting from Wijk aan Zee. This is my last tournament before Grand Swiss (a qualifying event for the Candidates), so it is very important to get some confidence back. Right now, I am focusing only on this tournament,' Arjun said on Tuesday. 'It is certainly important to get back to form, but one has to note that the classical tournaments that I played were held at different times (of the year). However, after the Chennai GM event, Grand Swiss will start pretty soon (on September 3 in Samarkand). So I will get good practice in classical as well,' added Arjun, who is actively involved in the closely-contested race for India No. 1 with R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh. Incidentally, the Chennai duo is not playing the tournament. Poll Who do you think is the biggest contender in the Chennai Grand Masters? Arjun Erigaisi Anish Giri Vincent Keymer Vidit Gujrathi While the Chennai GM tournament's field is not as strong as last year, Arjun could face challenge in the form of world No. 10 Anish Giri, the 21st-ranked Vincent Keymer and world No. 26 Vidit Gujrathi. In the absence of Pragg and Gukesh, Karthikeyan Murali, the eleventh-hour replacement of Vladimir Fedoseev, and V Pranav will add local flavour to the masters section. 'Maybe compared to last year, the field is a bit weaker. Nevertheless, it is still strong; you cannot count anyone out. My focus is only on my own game,' Arjun added. For fellow title challenger Anish, the event will provide 'good preparation' for the upcoming World Championship cycle tournaments (Grand Swiss and World Cup). 'It is a very strong classical event and it is in India, so I get to feel how it is to play in India before the World Cup. This is a good way for me to prepare,' said the Dutchman. The challengers category will see the participation of two women, experienced campaigner D Harika and local hope R Vaishali. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
