Slav defense

Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi: Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi held tournament leader Vincent Keymer to a hard-fought draw in the headline clash of Round 6 in the Chennai Grandmasters 2025 at Hyatt Regency Chennai here on Tuesday. The result allowed the German GM to maintain his one-point lead at the top of the Masters standings after six rounds, with Arjun in hot pursuit.

In another key result, the 22-year-old GM Awonder Liang of the United States defeated 18-year-old GM Pranav V in a much-anticipated “wonderkid” battle, moving level on points with Arjun and adding fresh intrigue to the chase for the title.

Now in its third year, the Chennai Grandmasters 2025 is India’s strongest classical chess event and features two elite 10-player round-robin sections—Masters and Challengers—across nine rounds in ten days. With a ₹1 crore prize pool, the Masters winner earns ₹25 lakh, the Challengers winner ₹7 lakh, and a coveted 2026 Masters berth. The event also offers FIDE Circuit points, with the Masters champion securing 24.5 points toward 2026 Candidates qualification.