Chennai Grand Masters 2026: Firouzja beat Gukesh to extend lead after second round
Chennai, July 17
French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja eked out yet another gruelling victory to register his second straight win in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India's most prestigious classical chess tournament, at the Westin Hotel in Chennai on Friday.
Firouzja, who had defeated GM M Pranesh with black pieces on the opening day, got the better of world champion Dommaraju Gukesh after 69 moves to take his tally to two points after two rounds.
Organised by MGD1, the tournament witnesses eight grandmasters face off in a double-round robin format and offers a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points.
After Deepraj Mukherjee, General Manager of Westin Chennai Velachery, made the ceremonial first move in the game between Firouzja and Gukesh, the Frenchman opted for a Ruy Lopez opening with white. It looked like Gukesh could hold out against the French GM in a knight-pawn ending, but a pawn sacrifice by Firouzja opened the door for a clinical win.
M Pranesh, who had lost his opening round with white, did not take any chances with black pieces against GM Dmitry Andreikin and settled for a draw by repeating in just 18 moves.
GM Arjun Erigaisi also played it safe against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov with black pieces, and the Uzbek signed the peace treaty after 43 moves. GM Nihal Sarin also held Hans Niemann to a draw after a marathon 132-move game in which he thwarted all the moves of his US opponent to gain the upper hand.
Earlier, Firouzja registered the sole win of the opening day against Indian GM M Pranesh in the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India's most prestigious classical chess tournament. Firouzja, playing black, defeated Pranesh in a marathon game that lasted 79 moves, with the Frenchman making the most of his pawn on the f-file in a rook-pawn ending.
Results (Round 2)
GM Hans Niemann (1) drew with GM Nihal Sarin (1)
GM Alireza Firouzja (2) beat GM D Gukesh (0.5)
GM Dmitry Andreikin (1) drew with GM M Pranesh 0.5
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (1) vs GM Arjun Erigaisi (1)
Round 3 Pairings:
GM Arjun Erigaisi vs Hans Niemann
GM M Pranesh vs GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov
GM D Gukesh vs GM Dmitry Andreikin
GM Nihal Sarin vs GM Alireza Firouzja
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm a bit worried about Gukesh's form. Two rounds, only half a point? Hope he bounces back in Round 3 against Andreikin. The match against Firouzja was tough, but our boy has the grit to fight back. Chennai crowd must be behind him!
As a chess fan from abroad, it's amazing to see India hosting such a high-quality tournament. Firouzja is in scary form—two wins out of two, including against the world champion. But Nihal Sarin's 132-move draw against Hans Niemann shows the depth of Indian talent. Exciting times!
Respect to M Pranesh for bouncing back after a tough loss—a draw against Andreikin in just 18 moves shows he learned from his mistakes. And Arjun Erigaisi playing safe against Abdusattorov? Smart chess. No need to take risks this early in a double round robin. Sab kuch time se hoga! 😄
I'm loving the competitive spirit here. Firouzja is on fire, but let's not forget Gukesh is still the world champion. One bad tournament doesn't define a player. The way Nihal held Niemann for 132 moves is incredible—pure patience and technique. Can't wait for Round 3! 🏆
Honestly, I think the tournament organizers should give more visibility to games like Nihal vs Niemann. That was a draw, but what a fight! Chess is not just about winning—it's about resilience. Indian players are showing true grit. Firouzja is a beast,
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