Chennai Grand Masters to feature Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and TN’s own Aravindh
Top ranked chess players from around the world to compete in Masters, while budding Indian players to be pooled in new section titled Challengers to gain crucial points
R Vaishali speaking to the media during the Chennai Grand Masters 2024 press event (Photo: Hemanathan.M)
CHENNAI: The Chennai Grand Masters is returning for the second consecutive year and will take place from November 5 to 11 at the Anna Centenary Library.
This upcoming edition has been split into two sections: one titled ‘Masters,’ which boasts the world’s top-ranked players, including India number one and world number three, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi and Tamil Nadu’s Aravindh Chithambaram.
The second section, titled ‘Challengers,’ features eight Indian players competing against each other, including Chess Olympiad gold medallists Harika Dronavalli and R Vaishali. The average rating for this category is 2589, while the Masters section has an average rating of 2729.
“The tournament is an opportunity for me to play against some of the top players in the country. The Chennai Grand Masters has been a game-changer for players to gain important points,” R Vaishali said on Wednesday.
Arjun (2761) is one to watch for in the Masters section. If he can make the most of this tournament like D Gukesh did last year, it would enhance his chances of qualifying for the Candidates Tournament in 2026.
Eighteen-year-old M Pranesh from Tamil Nadu, who earned the Grandmaster title last year, will be another player to watch in the Challengers section.
The total prize fund for the Masters section is Rs 50 lakh, while the Challengers section has a prize fund of Rs 20 lakh.
The tournament will take place in the auditorium of the Anna Centenary Library, which can accommodate 1,000 attendees. Organisers have also announced that online tickets will soon be available for the public at a nomial fee to help manage crowd control.
The 2023 edition was the strongest tournament in the Classical format, where D Gukesh took home the top prize. It served as a stepping stone toward his World Chess Championship journey, helping him secure important points and qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament, where he became the youngest player ever to reach the Championship final.
Gukesh will face Ding Liren of China in November.