Chennai Grand Masters 2026: Arjun Erigaisi beats world champion Gukesh with black to jump to joint lead
Chennai, July 20
India's Arjun Erigaisi pounced on some errors by world champion D Gukesh to win their game and stormed into joint lead after Round 5 in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India's most prestigious classical chess tournament, at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel on Monday.
Grandmaster (GM) Nodirbek Abdusattorov also registered a win with black to throw his hat in the title race.
With just two rounds left to play, Erigaisi is tied with French GM Alireza Firouzja on 3.5 points while Abdusattorov is half a point behind on three.
The tournament witnesses eight grandmasters face off in a round-robin format and offers a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points.
After the fourth round ended in all draws, Abdusattorov took the attack to Indian GM Nihal Sarin with black pieces and slowly but surely tightened the noose to force his opponent to resign after 38 moves.
The all-Indian clash between Erigaisi and Gukesh began with an opening move by Jeshua J, a Tamil Nadu-born youngster who holds the record of becoming the youngest Arena FIDE Master at the age of 7 years, 10 months and 8 days.
Thereafter, Erigaisi played a solid game with black and was quick to go for the kill once the world champion's accuracy of moves dropped in the middle game.
Erigaisi stayed patient, and once it was clear that his pawn on the d-file was sure to be promoted to a queen, Gukesh resigned on move 63. Firouzja, who had won the first two rounds, settled for a draw against GM Dmitry Andreikin after 41 moves.
Round 5 results:
* GM M Pranesh (2) drew with GM Hans Niemann (2)
* GM D Gukesh (1.5) lost to GM Arjun Erigaisi (3.5)
• GM Nihal Sarin (2) lost to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (3)
* GM Alireza Firouzja (3.5) drew with GM Dmitry Andreikin (2.5)
Round 6 Pairing (July 21, 3:00 PM IST):
* GM Hans Niemann vs GM Dmitry Andreikin
* GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs GM Alireza Firouzja
* GM M Pranesh vs GM D Gukesh
* GM Arjun Erigaisi vs GM Nihal Sarin
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's amazing to see such high-level chess being played right here in Chennai! The tournament is really well-organized, and the prize money of Rs 75 lakh is impressive. But I feel a bit sorry for Gukesh—maybe he was under pressure after his world championship win. Still, great sportsmanship from both players.
Indian chess is on fire these days! First Gukesh becomes world champion, now Arjun is beating him in classical chess. The depth of talent we have—Erigaisi, Gukesh, Nihal, Pranesh—is incredible. But I wonder if Gukesh is experiencing a bit of a slump after his big win. The competition is fierce, and that's good for the sport! ♟️🔥
Great to see strong performances from Indian players, but let's not overlook Abdusattorov—he's only half a point behind and playing really well. The round 6 matchup between Abdusattorov and Firouzja is going to be crucial. Also, the fact that a seven-year-old from Tamil Nadu made the first move is a lovely touch—inspires the next generation!
Incredible performance by Arjun! But I have to say, Gukesh needs to work on his middle-game accuracy—that's where he lost it. These errors can't happen at this level. Still, both are amazing talents and make India proud. Can't wait for the next round: Arjun vs Nihal—should be a cracker! 🏆
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