The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 chess tournament is taking place in Chennai, India, from August 7 to 15. It is one of the biggest classical chess events in the country this year.
The event has two main parts the Masters and the Challengers. Each section has 10 players who play in a round-robin format, meaning everyone plays against each other once. The time control is 90 minutes for each player, with an added 30 seconds for every move. The winner in the Masters section will take home the top prize of ₹25,00,000, which is around 30,000 US dollars.
After four rounds in the Masters section, German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer is in first place. He has scored 3.5 points out of a possible 4. Keymer has been in great form and has not lost any games so far. He won his third-round game against Indian GM Karthikeyan Murali and then drew in the fourth round with Dutch GM Anish Giri. These results have helped him stay ahead in the standings and even boosted his world ranking into the top 15.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who is ranked number five in the world, is the closest challenger. He has 2.5 points. Arjun played very well in the earlier rounds, including a win against American GM Ray Robson. However, in round four, he lost to young Indian GM Nihal Sarin, which allowed Keymer to increase his lead in the tournament.
There have been other interesting results in the Masters section. Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi has fought back strongly after some tough games and secured important wins, including one against Nihal Sarin earlier in the tournament. American GM Awonder Liang claimed his first victory by defeating Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands. Young Indian GM V Pranav Venkatesh impressed by holding top seed Anish Giri to a draw.
In the Challengers section, young Indian stars are also showing great performances. GM Abhimanyu Puranik is currently in first place with 2.5 points. M. Pranesh is just behind in the standings and earned praise for winning a game with the well-known Najdorf Sicilian opening.
Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca scored an important win against fellow countrymate GM Vaishali Rameshbabu. Many games in the Challengers have been exciting and decisive, showing the strong talent of India’s next-generation players.
The tournament is getting a lot of attention because of its strong field, close games, and high-quality commentary. Well-known commentators like IM Sagar Shah and GM Sahaj Grover have been explaining the games live, making it easy for fans to follow the action. The event is also adding to Chennai’s reputation as one of the main centers for chess in India.
The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters will continue until August 15. There are still many rounds left, so the battle for the title is wide open. Vincent Keymer is leading, but players like Arjun Erigaisi and Anish Giri are still in the chase. Fans can expect more exciting games and possible surprises before the tournament ends