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Key Points

German GM Vincent Keymer preserved his one-point lead after a gripping draw against India's Arjun Erigaisi in Round 6. American prodigy Awonder Liang joined the title chase by defeating Pranav V in a battle of young stars. The Challengers section saw a major upset as Pranesh halted Abhimanyu Puranik's unbeaten run. With ₹1 crore at stake, the nine-round event remains wide open across both divisions.

Key Points: Keymer Holds Lead as Arjun Draws in Chennai Grandmasters 2025

  • Keymer stays unbeaten with 4.5 points after tense draw with Arjun
  • Awonder Liang joins chase with decisive win over Pranav V
  • Pranesh shocks leader Abhimanyu in Challengers section
  • Harika Dronavalli triumphs in all-Indian women's GM clash
3 min read

Chennai Grandmasters 2025: Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi play out a draw; Awonder beats Pranav

Vincent Keymer maintains top spot after draw with Arjun Erigaisi, while Awonder Liang beats Pranav in Chennai Grandmasters chess thriller.

"The German seized the early momentum, but Arjun clawed his way back, ensuring the pace-setter didn’t turn into a runaway leader. – Tournament Report"

Chennai, Aug 12

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.

Unbeaten so far, Keymer opened with the Queen’s Pawn, quickly transposing into a Queen’s Gambit by move two, while Arjun responded with the Slav Defense. The German seized the early momentum, but Arjun clawed his way back, ensuring the pace-setter didn’t turn into a runaway leader. Elsewhere in the Masters, Vidit Gujrathi and Anish Giri settled for a draw, while Jorden van Foreest bounced back with a win as Black against Nihal Sarin. Karthikeyan Murali, too, held Ray Robson to a draw.

In the Challengers, M Pranesh halted leader Abhimanyu Puranik’s unbeaten run, turning what had looked like a one-man march into a tight three-way fight for the title. The victory brought Pranesh level with Abhimanyu at the top, where they were joined by Leon Luke Mendonca after his win over Aryan Chopra.

GM Harika Dronavalli prevailed against GM Vaishali Rameshbabu in the all-women Grandmaster clash, while Adhiban Baskaran outplayed Diptayan Ghosh to climb up the standings. Pa Iniyan and Harshavardhan GB split the point after a draw.

Results & standings:

Masters – Round 6:

Arjun Erigaisi (½) drew with Vincent Keymer (½)

Awonder Liang (1) bt Pranav V (0)

Vidit Gujrathi (½) drew with Anish Giri (½)

Jorden van Foreest (1) bt Nihal Sarin (0)

Karthikeyan Murali (½) drew with Ray Robson (½)

Masters – Round 6

1. Vincent Keymer – 4.5

=2 Arjun Erigaisi – 3.5

=2 Awonder Liang – 3.5

=4 Karthikeyan Murali – 3.0

=4 Anish Giri – 3.0

=4 Vidit Gujrathi – 3.0

=4 Jorden van Foreest – 3.0

8. Ray Robson – 2.5

=9 Nihal Sarin – 2.0

=9 Pranav V – 2.0

Challengers – Round 6:

M Pranesh (1) bt Abhimanyu Puranik (0)

Leon Luke Mendonca (1) bt Aryan Chopra (0)

Harika Dronavalli (1) bt Vaishali Rameshbabu (0)

Adhiban Baskaran (1) bt Diptayan Ghosh (0)

Pa Iniyan (½) drew with Harshavardhan GB (½)

Challengers – Standings after Round 6:

=1 M Pranesh – 4.5

=1 Abhimanyu Puranik – 4.5

=1 Leon Luke Mendonca – 4.5

=4 Adhiban Baskaran – 3.5

=4 Diptayan Ghosh – 3.5

=4 Pa Iniyan – 3.5

7. Harshavardhan GB – 2.0

=8 Aryan Chopra – 1.5

=8 Harika Dronavalli – 1.5

10. Vaishali Rameshbabu – 1.0.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone new to chess, I'm amazed by how Chennai has become such a chess hub! The ₹1 crore prize pool shows how seriously India takes chess now. The Awonder vs Pranav match must have been spectacular - any highlights available?
P
Priya S
Disappointed that Pranav lost, but he's still young and learning. The Challengers section is getting really interesting with that three-way tie! Go Pranesh and Leon! 🇮🇳 Chess is truly becoming India's new cricket.
A
Aman W
While the tournament is exciting, I wish there was more coverage of the women's matches. Harika vs Vaishali was barely mentioned! We need to promote our women grandmasters equally. Otherwise great event organization by Chennai!
K
Karthik V
The Slav Defense by Arjun was a masterclass in patience! Keymer is world-class but our boy held his own. The tournament format is perfect - round robin ensures everyone gets fair chances. More such events needed across India!
M
Michael C
Impressed by the international standards at Chennai Grandmasters. The Keymer-Erigaisi draw shows how chess bridges cultures. Hope more foreign players participate next year - would love to see Carlsen or Ding Liren here!

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