Chennai, August 10: Day 4 of the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 delivered drama, upsets, and a tightening race at the top as Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin registered his first victory of the tournament, defeating compatriot and tournament co-leader Arjun Erigaisi in a hard-fought encounter on Sunday (August 10).
The marquee clash between Nihal and Arjun began with the Reti Opening, with Arjun opting to mirror Nihal’s setup in the early stages. In front of an engaged crowd and with chess legend Viswanathan Anand providing live commentary, the game evolved into a tense strategic duel.
Arjun struck first, claiming the initial material advantage on move 15. However, Nihal kept the pressure on, patiently navigating the middlegame before capitalising on a late slip from Arjun. The decisive breakthrough came deep into the endgame, with Nihal converting his edge on move 70 to secure the point and hand Arjun his first loss of the event.
Elsewhere in the Masters section, GM Murali Karthikeyan notched a key win over Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest to climb up the leaderboard. Vincent Keymer, the German prodigy who has been the most consistent player so far, extended his unbeaten run to four games after a draw with Anish Giri, maintaining a one-point lead at the top. The all-American clash between Awonder Liang and Ray Robson ended peacefully, as did the encounter between Vidit Gujrathi and Pranav V.
The Challengers section also saw decisive action as GM Abhimanyu Puranik took sole lead with 3.5 points after defeating WGM Vaishali Rameshbabu with white. Former joint-leader M Pranesh was held to a draw by GM Adhiban Baskaran, allowing Puranik to break away.
GM Diptayan Ghosh and GM Leon Luke Mendonca also made strong moves up the table with wins over Harshavardhan GB and Harika Dronavalli respectively, both joining Pranesh in second place on 3 points. GM P Iniyan’s victory over Aryan Chopra pushed him to 2.5 points.
Chennai Grand Masters 2025 – Day 4 Highlights
Big upset: Nihal Sarin scored his first win of the tournament, defeating co-leader Arjun Erigaisi after a tense 70-move battle in the Reti Opening.
Leader stays strong: Vincent Keymer held Anish Giri to a draw, extending his unbeaten run to 4 games and maintaining a one-point lead in the Masters.
Murali Karthikeyan shines: Beat Jorden van Foreest to climb up the standings.
Challengers shake-up: Abhimanyu Puranik defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu to take sole lead with 3.5 points.
Tight race for 2nd place: M Pranesh, Diptayan Ghosh, and Leon Luke Mendonca share second place on 3 points.
Masters Round 4 Results
| White | Score | Black |
|---|---|---|
| Murali Karthikeyan | 1-0 | Jorden van Foreest |
| Ray Robson | ½-½ | Awonder Liang |
| Nihal Sarin | 1-0 | Arjun Erigaisi |
| Pranav V | ½-½ | Vidit Gujrathi |
| Vincent Keymer | ½-½ | Anish Giri |
Masters Standings (After Round 4)
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vincent Keymer | 3.5 |
| 2 | Arjun Erigaisi | 2.5 |
| 3 | Anish Giri | 2 |
| 4 | Ray Robson | 2 |
| 5 | Awonder Liang | 2 |
| 6 | Vidit Gujrathi | 2 |
| 7 | Murali Karthikeyan | 2 |
| 8 | Nihal Sarin | 1.5 |
| 9 | V Pranav | 1.5 |
| 10 | Jorden van Foreest | 1 |
Challengers Round 4 Results
| White | Score | Black |
|---|---|---|
| Harshavardhan GB | 0-1 | Diptayan Ghosh |
| P Iniyan | 1-0 | Aryan Chopra |
| Adhiban Baskaran | ½-½ | M Pranesh |
| Leon Luke Mendonca | 1-0 | Harika Dronavalli |
| Abhimanyu Puranik | 1-0 | Vaishali Rameshbabu |
Challengers Standings (After Round 4)
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abhimanyu Puranik | 3.5 |
| 2 | M Pranesh | 3 |
| 3 | Diptayan Ghosh | 3 |
| 4 | Leon Luke Mendonca | 3 |
| 5 | P Iniyan | 2.5 |
| 6 | Adhiban Baskaran | 2 |
| 7 | Vaishali Rameshbabu | 1 |
| 8 | Aryan Chopra | 1 |
| 9 | Harika Dronavalli | 0.5 |
| 10 | Harshavardhan GB | 0.5 |
Fans can witness the action live daily at 3:00 PM IST at the Hyatt Regency Chennai or tune in online, with premium tickets offering exclusive access to commentary zones, player interactions, and chess merchandise.