World Champion D Gukesh faced Nihal Sarin in a draw during the opening day of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026. This match marked Gukesh’s first competitive appearance in Chennai since he became the youngest World Champion by defeating Ding Liren in December 2024. The Chennai Grand Masters has been pivotal in Gukesh’s journey, as it was here in 2023 that he qualified for the Candidates event through the FIDE circuit, ultimately leading to his world title victory.
On Day 1, three out of four matches concluded in draws, with Alireza Firouzja being the sole victor after overcoming Pranesh. Other results included Nodirbek Abdusattorov drawing with Hans Niemann, while Arjun Erigaisi also ended in a draw against Dmitri Andreikin.
Later this year, Gukesh is set to defend his world title against fellow 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan. Prior to that, he will encounter a tough challenge from World No.6 Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who is participating in the Chennai Grand Slam. Abdusattorov expressed his commitment to support Sindarov during the world title match, stating, “I had joined his training camp a week before the Candidates. For the World Championship match, for sure, I will be part of his team. He’s my friend, he’s close to me and I will help him.”
‘It Was A Tricky Game’ – Gukesh
Gukesh has struggled with form recently, finishing last in the Norway Chess tournament. In his match against Nihal, he played with the white pieces but did not achieve the desired start as Nihal opted for the Pirc Defence. Gukesh later acknowledged feeling pressured after Nihal played 20…d5, stating, “It was pretty tricky but I think his Rd1 plan was not accurate.” As the game progressed, Gukesh took considerable time for his moves and was nearly out of time. Nevertheless, he maintained composure, defended effectively, and managed to avoid a loss. Nihal remarked that he had opportunities to apply more pressure on Gukesh but failed to capitalize on them, saying, “For sure in the endgame there were some missed chances. Apparently, objectively, it was never really winning. I should have tried better for sure. Gukesh had some good preparation, but was spending too much time and being a bit too slow. He defended extremely well like he always does.”