The 3rd edition of the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters is taking place at Hyatt Regency, Chennai. It was scheduled to begin on August 6, 2025, but due to an electrical fire incident at the venue, it was rescheduled by a day. Players were shifted safely, and the event is currently taking place from August 7 to August 15, 2025, without any rest days. Tournaments begin daily at 2:00 PM IST, the final round being an exception, and it begins earlier. This is also on the FIDE Circuit, so points are earned by players towards the Candidates qualification.
Format and Time Control
The tournament is divided into two 10‑player round‑robin sections: Masters and Challengers. Every player plays against all others in the section. All the games are conducted in classical time controls, which demand much preparation and concentration at the board.
Prize Money
The prize fund this year is the largest ever, ₹1 crore overall.
- Master’s winner receives ₹25 lakh.
- Prize awarded until 10th place.
- Challenger’s winner gets ₹7 lakh.
Participants
Masters Section
- Arjun Erigaisi (India) – first match vs. Awonder Liang (USA)
- Anish Giri (Netherlands) vs. Ray Robson (USA)
- Vidit Gujrathi (India)
- Nihal Sarin (India)
- Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)
- Vincent Keymer (Germany)
- Pranav V (India)
- Karthikeyan Murali (India)
- Other top GMs from other nations
Challengers Section
- Abhimanyu Puranik, Aryan Chopra, Leon Luke Mendonca
- Pranesh M, P. Iniyan, Diptayan Ghosh
- Harika Dronavalli and Vaishali Rameshbabu
- Harshavardhan G B, Adhiban Baskaran
Notable Absences
D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa are not participating because they are already engaged in the Grand Chess Tour.
Opening Round Matches
In Round 1, the main games were:
- Arjun Erigaisi vs. Awonder Liang
- Anish Giri vs. Ray Robson
- Vidit Gujrathi vs. Jorden van Foreest
- Vincent Keymer vs. Nihal Sarin
Players to Watch
Indian Players
- Arjun Erigaisi – attempting to bounce back after an on-and-off form this year
- Vidit Gujrathi – ever consistent in major events
- Nihal Sarin – technical and solid in classical
- Harika Dronavalli – back to elite chess after being a mother
- Leon Luke Mendonca – dangerous in the Challengers group
International Players
- Anish Giri – top-level GM from the Netherlands
- Vincent Keymer – a young German star, also second to Gukesh
- Ray Robson, Awonder Liang – USA’s strong players
- Jorden van Foreest – Dutch player known for aggressive style
Where will the third edition of Chennai Grand Masters be taking place?
The 2025 Chennai Grand Masters will be taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Chennai.
Live Streaming
You can watch the matches on Chess.com, Chess24, and ChessBase India with commentary and analysis of games. A small number of players also stream their games a little delayed in order to comply with the regulations.
Significance
In only 3 years, Chennai Grand Masters has become one of the most important classical events in India. With its big prize pool, FIDE Circuit points, and strong field, it is adding to Chennai’s chess history, a city of champions like Viswanathan Anand.
