Latest news with #ChennaiGrandmasters
News18
8 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Chennai Grandmasters Day 5: Keymer, Erigaisi Held In Masters; Vaishali And Harika Still In Search Of First Win
Arjun Erigaisi took his tally to three points, one behind leader Vincent Keymer, with a draw against Pranav V as the table-topper was held to a draw by Vidit Gujrathi. Vincent Keymer took his points tally to round four points on Monday, Day 5 of the ongoing edition of the Chennai Grandmasters in Chennai on Monday as he split the spoils with Indian Vidit Gujrathi who held the German leader to a draw. Arjun Erigaisi also played out a draw with compatriot V Pranav on the day, to add half a point to his kitty, as the 21-year-old poster boy of the event stands second in the table with three points to his name. Anish Giri's streak of draws continued on the day as Karthikeyan Murali held his own against the Dutchman, while Nihal Sarin followed up his win over top-seeded Erigaisi a day earlier, with a tie against American Liang Awonder. Jorden Van Foreest picked up his first win at the event in the Capital City of Tamil Nadu as he edged out American Robson in the longest game of the day. Keymer tops the table, followed by Erigaisi, a point behind the German leader. Giri, Gujrathi, Karthikeyan, and Awonder have accumulated two and a half points. Sarin, Pranav and Robson have two points apiece. Challengers leader Abhimanyu Puranik continued his run of victories at the midway point of the event at the cost of struggling Harika Dronavalli, who was handed her fourth defeat in five games as the season campaigner remains in search of her first win yet with just four games left to go. Harshavardhan GB dished out a surprise on the day with his win over R Vaishali, while Leon Luke Medoca posted a draw with M Pranesh. Adhiban B and Arya Chopra shared the spoils, while Iniyan Pa and Diptayan Ghosh also had to return to their accommodations with an increment of half-a-point to their respective tallies with another draw in the Challengers section. Puranik stands at the top of the 10-member Challengers standings, followed by Mendoca, Ghosh and Pranesh, all on three and a half points, with Iniyan hot on their heels with three points. Masters, Day 5 Results: Challengers, Day 5 Results: First Published: News sports Chennai Grandmasters Day 5: Keymer, Erigaisi Held In Masters; Vaishali And Harika Still In Search Of First Win 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.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Chennai Grandmasters Chess: Nihal Sarin Upsets Arjun Erigaisi, Undefeated Vincent Keymer Extends Lead On Day 4
India's Nihal Sarin notched up his first win at the Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament, stunning compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in Round 4 here on Sunday. Meanwhile, German GM Vincent Keymer continued his unbeaten run, holding Dutch star Anish Giri to a draw to stay a point clear at the top of the standings. Nihal's win over Arjun came after a tense, strategic battle that began with the Reti Opening, with the latter mirroring his compatriot's setup. With chess legend Vishwanathan Anand presiding in the commentary box, providing fans with a unique live experience, the game unfolded at a measured pace as Arjun claimed the first piece on move 15. A tightly contested middlegame gradually opened up, allowing Nihal to press his advantage and convert on move 70 for his first victory of the 2025 edition. Elsewhere, GM Murali Karthikeyan also impressed, defeating Jorden van Foreest to climb up the standings. In other Masters results, GM Vidit Gujrathi and GM Pranav V split the points after a balanced encounter, while the all-American clash between GM Awonder Liang and GM Ray Robson also ended with half-a-point apiece. Keymer's draw with Giri kept him in the sole lead, while Nihal's victory over Arjun injected fresh intrigue into the title race. In the Challengers section, GM Abhimanyu Puranik emerged as the sole leader after defeating WGM Vaishali Rameshbabu with the white pieces, capitalising on hitherto joint leader M Pranesh's draw against GM Adhiban Baskaran. GM Diptayan Ghosh scored a win by beating Harshavardhan GB, while GM Leon Luke Mendonca also stayed in contention with a victory over GM Harika Dronavalli -- both moving level with Pranesh on 3 points.
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Pranav Venkatesh's grand move: World junior crown to hometown chess debut
When discussing India's chess dominance over the past year and a half, Gukesh's name often comes up. The success of both the open and women's teams at the Budapest Olympiad is frequently highlighted. Divya Deshmukh's World Cup triumph and the all-Indian final have further cemented India's position at the top of world all this glory, there was also Pranav Venkatesh, the reigning World Junior Champion. His victory in the Junior World Cup showcased the remarkable depth of talent in Indian chess. In an interview with India Today, Pranav spoke about the Chennai Grandmasters event and his experience of winning the Junior World are some excerpts from Pranav Venkatesh's interviewQ.) After winning the World Junior Championship, how did your life change overnight, especially with you now playing in the Chennai Grandmasters and soon in the Grand Swiss? Winning the World Junior title was a huge achievement for me. I was the second seed, and the field had many strong players, so I focused on giving my best. In that tournament, I felt I played really well, with strong preparation, solid physical work, and everything falling into place. One of the biggest rewards from becoming World Junior Champion was the opportunity to play a match in the Grand Swiss, which ultimately helped me qualify for the event.Q.) You initially weren't set to play in the Grand Swiss due to a drop in ranking points, but later got in through a wildcard. How did that come about?The rating list used for the Grand Swiss selection had dropped. Earlier, my rating was 2620, which should have been enough to qualify comfortably, but after a poor month, my rating fell, and I thought I wouldn't make it by rating. Then I received an email from the Asian Chess Federation about a regional wildcard from Asia. They wanted to organize a match between the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Champions. I was thrilled at that point because it gave me another chance to qualify for the Grand Swiss.Q.) With you becoming World Junior Champion and Divya Deshmukh winning the World Cup, are you now dreaming about the Candidates?That thought is always there, but for now, I'm focused on Chennai, followed by the Fujairah tournament. Both are very strong events, with players rated above 2600. After that comes the Grand Swiss, which is, of course, extremely competitive. For now, my priority is to focus on these two upcoming tournaments, play well, and see how things go—without putting too much pressure on myself.Q.) Is this your first major tournament in Chennai, your hometown, with all the local hopes on you?This is my first super tournament with all the top players, and I'm very happy that it's happening in my hometown, Chennai. I know many of the places here, so it doesn't feel like I'm traveling much. Playing at home makes me really happy, and I hope to perform After you won the World Junior Championship, did fellow Chennai player Gukesh interact with you or share any tips?We didn't have much time to meet since he was playing a lot of tournaments, and I had some as well. So, we didn't really get a chance to talk or see each other at any event.Q.) Pranav, what is your favourite opening?I think it's 1.e4 — either the Ruy Lopez or the Italian. Since the start of my chess career, I've played 1.e4. Somehow, I feel 1.e4 is more aggressive than 1.d4, and since I'm an aggressive player, I prefer 1.e4.Q.) You mentioned the Grand Swiss has a different time control. How do you mentally prepare to balance attack and defense within the given time, especially as a young player?I think it's mainly about managing your time well in the shorter formats, like 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment, without any extra time after 40 moves, or even the Grand Swiss time control. If you can handle your time effectively in the 90+30 format, the longer time controls shouldn't be a problem since you get more time also about putting pressure on your opponent—if you apply pressure early on, even with 100 minutes for 40 moves, your opponent can end up in time trouble and make mistakes. So, if you play well in the shorter formats like 90+30, you can perform well in the longer ones too.Q.) If not for chess, what career would you have pursued, and what's your favourite subject at school?I study at Vellamal, and the school has been very supportive of my chess. But honestly, I wasn't very interested in studies even before chess. Maybe I would have chosen another sport like cricket instead.- Ends
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Chennai Grandmasters Day 2: Vincent Keymer Continues Winning Run, Dronavalli Yet To Get Off Mark
Last Updated: Arjun Erigaisi drew with Jorden Van Foreest in Chennai Grandmasters, while Vincent Keymer leads after beating Pranav V. Arjun Erigaisi was held to a draw by Dutchman Jorden Van Foreest on the second day of the Chennai Grandmasters on Friday, while German Vincent Keymer's winning run continued as he triumphed over Pranav V. As a result, Keymer edged out Erigaisi to the lead in the Masters category standings. American Ray Robson condemned Vidit Gujrathi to a defeat, while Dutchman Anish Giri got the better of Nihal Sarin. Robinson went on level with Erigaisi on points thanks to his tie. Harika Dronavalli's quest to get off the mark continued as she went down to Iniyan Pa in the challengers section, while Vaishali and Adhiban shared the spoils on the day. Diptayan Ghosh, who shocked Dronavalli in the opener, was happy to pick up a draw against Pranesh M. Aryan Chopra and Harshavardan GB played out a draw in the challengers section, while Abhimanyu Puranik got his first victory of the event against compatriot Leon Luke Mendonca. The first board to be dusted on the day was the one occupied by Karthikeyan Murali and Liang Awonder as the pair shook hands to split the points on offer on Day 2 of the event. Sarin and Awonder got off the mark thanks to their ties in the Masters category, as did Harshavardhan and Chopra with their first points on the table. Keymer leads the table with two points in as many rounds, with Erigaisi behind him with a point and a half at the end of the day's play. The chess action continues at the Hyatt Regency on the third day of the event on Saturday, August 9, with everything still to play for. Masters- Round 2 Results: Karthikeyan Murali Played Out A Draw With Liang Awonder Jorden Van Foreest Played Out A Draw With Arjun Erigaisi Ray Robson Defeated Vidit Gujrathi Nihal Sarin Played Out A Draw With Anish Giri Pranav V Lost To Vincent Keymer Challengers- Round 2 Results: Harshavardan Played Out A Draw With Aryan Chopra Diptayan Ghosh Played Out A Draw With Pranesh M Iniyan Pa Defeated Dronavalli Harika Abhinadan B Played Out A Draw With Vaishali R Leon Luke Mendoca Lost to Abhimanyu Puranik view comments 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
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
India to host third edition of Global Chess League in December; adds to country's busy chess calendar
India will host the third edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) from December 13-24, 2025. The tournament, featuring six franchises with six players each including both male and female competitors, will conclude just before the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Qatar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Global Chess League was hosted in Dubai for its inaugural edition and London last year. The tournament follows a double round-robin format where each franchise competes against others twice during the event. Previous seasons of the GCL have attracted top chess players globally, including former world champions , , and Hou Yifan. Other notable participants have included rising stars Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, along with established players Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The 2025 calendar marks a significant increase in international chess events being hosted in India. The country has already successfully organised several major tournaments this year, including the Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, the Pune Women's Grand Prix event, and currently the Chennai Grandmasters event. India's chess calendar for 2025 will be further enriched by hosting the FIDE World Cup, scheduled from October 30 to November 27. The host city for this prestigious event is yet to be announced. The growing prominence of India in international chess events faced a minor setback when a planned event of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour had to be cancelled. The organisers were unable to secure sufficient funding from Indian corporate entities to proceed with the tournament.
