Chennai GM 2026: Firouzja continues to lead after all games in round 4 end in a draw
Chennai, July 19
French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja continued to lead the standings with a half -point advantage over India's Arjun Erigaisi after all match in Round 4 ended in draws in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India's most prestigious classical chess tournament, at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel, here on Sunday.
Over 500 chess fans watched the Round 4 action live and also got an opportunity to interact with the legendary Viswanathan Anand, who also made the first move in the match between Erigaisi and M Pranesh.
The tournament witnessed eight grandmasters face-off in a robin format and offers a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points.
Firouzja had won his first two matches while Erigaisi had scored one full point in the third round to heat up the title race on Saturday. Erigaisi was the first to sign the peace treaty against compatriot M Pranesh with white pieces. The match stayed evenly balanced throughout, and the players opted for a draw after 34 moves.
World Champion D Gukesh tried his best to find a way past GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov with black pieces but ended up settling for a draw after 41 moves. Firouzja also played it safe with black against GM Hans Niemann and took the draw after 50 moves.
Round 4 Results:
• GM Hans Niemann (1.5) drew with GM Alireza Firouzja (3)
• GM Dmitry Andreikin (2) drew with GM Nihal Sarin (2)
• GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2) drew with GM D Gukesh (1.5)
• GM Arjun Erigaisi (2.5) drew with GM M Pranesh (1.5)
Round 5 Pairing (July 20, 3:00PM IST):
• GM M Pranesh vs GM Hans Niemann
• GM D Gukesh's vs GM Arjun Erigaisi
• GM Nihal Sarin vs GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov
• GM Alireza Firouzja vs GM Dmitry Andreikin
— IANS
Reader Comments
What a treat for Chennai fans! Watching Anand make the first move and then seeing Gukesh fight hard against Abdusattorov - our chess culture is really something special. Proud moment for Indian chess 🇮🇳
Honestly, I was hoping for more decisive results today. But credit to all GMs for playing solid chess. Arjun Erigaisi is just half a point behind Firouzja - he can still win this!
75 lakh prize pool and FIDE Circuit points at stake! This tournament is putting Chennai on the global chess map. Happy to see so many young Indian talents competing with world-class players. Gukesh needs to bounce back strong tomorrow!
Firouzja is playing like a champion - draws when needed, wins when opportunity knocks. But I feel Nihal Sarin is quietly building momentum with 2 points. Don't count him out yet! 🤓♟️
Amazing atmosphere at Westin Chennai! Saw Anand interacting with fans - such a humble legend. The round 5 pairings look juicy, especially Gukesh vs Erigaisi. That's going to be a real test of nerves.
M Meera T One We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.