Quantbox Chennai GM R1: Keymer, Arjun, Leon, Diptayan and Pranesh make a winning start

by Shahid Ahmed - 08/08/2025

Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 is off to a great start. Arjun Erigaisi and Vincent Keymer (GER) scored the wins in the Masters section. Leon Luke Mendonca, Diptayan Ghosh and Pranesh M won their respective games in the Challengers. Arjun got the better of Awonder Liang (USA) who could not navigate his attack well. Nihal Sarin had an opportunity to bounce back in the endgame after an initial mistake. Unfortunately he could not find it in low time. Jorden van Foreest (NED) quite possibly played the most exciting game of the round after he sacrificed his knight against Vidit Gujrathi. Both player could not capitalize on their game and it ended in a draw. Round 2 starts today at 3 p.m. IST. Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Jorden plays exciting chess from the very first game

Masters: Keymer - Nihal: 1-0

GM Vincent Keymer (GER, 2730) and GM Nihal Sarin (2692) played six Classical rated games each other. Keymer won two, Nihal won one and the remaining three ended in draws.

Position after 12.Rd1

Black needed to let go of the d5-pawn. 12...Bd4? made things worse 13.e3 Bxc5 14.a3 d4?! 15.b4 Bb6 16.Bh6 dxe3?? was the a big mistake allowing White to gain an exchange and a substantial advantage 17.Qxd8+ Nxd8 18.Bb5+ Nc6 19.Bxc6 bxc6 20.Bxf8 exf2+ 21.Ke2

Position after 49.Rb5

49...Ke4 was Nihal's final chance to save the day 50.Rg6 Ke3. Instead, he blundered 49...Rh7?? 50.Rc7 Rh8 51.b7 Ba7 52.Rc8 and White won.

GM Vincent Keymer (GER) - GM Nihal Sarin: 1-0 | Photo: MGD1

GM Pranav Venkatesh - GM Karthikeyan Murali: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Anish Giri (NED) - GM Ray Robson (USA): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Vidit - Jorden: 0.5-0.5

GM Vidit Gujrathi (2720) clashed against GM Jorden van Foreest (NED, 2697) five times in Classical rated games. Vidit won, Jorden two and the remaining two ended in draws. The newly crowned Dutch champion made an interesting sacrifice.

Position after 20...Ba6!

The position asked for 20...Ba6! to be played and Jorden did. 21.Bxd7 Re2 22.Qd1 h3 23.Nf2 d3 24.gxh3 Rxb2? instead Bd4-+ would have maintained the upper hand for Black. 25.Rb1 turned the tables in White's favor Bd4 26.Rxb2 Qxb2 27.Qd2 Black's compensation is gone and now White got the advantage. However, the game eventually ended in a draw.

Vidit Gujrathi - Jorden van Foreest, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Jorden van Foreest (NED) brought his exciting brand of play from the very first round against GM Vidit Gujrathi | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Arjun - Awonder: 1-0

This is the first time, GM Arjun Erigaisi (2776) faced GM Awonder Liang (USA, 2696) in a Classical rated game. In a complex position, Awonder went wrong.

Position after 29.Kf2

29...Bxg4! 30.fxg4 Qxg4 would have been fine for Black. Instead, 29...Be4? 30.fxe4 dxe4 31.Rxe4 Rae8 32.Bg3 f5 33.gxf5 Qxf5+ 34.Qf4 Black slowly lost the compensation he had for the sacrificed piece and went on to lose the game.

Arjun Erigaisi - Awonder Liang, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Arjun Erigaisi scored a smooth win over GM Awonder Liang (USA) | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Challengers: Harshavardhan - Leon: 0-1

The first IM ever to play in this tournament is, Harshavardhan G B (2454). He put up a good fight against GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2606).

Position after 34.Qa2

34...b5 is what Black needed to play to free up his queen and also bring the knights into action. Instead, 34...Qc6?? 35.Qd2+- gave White the decisive advantage as the a4-knight remained out of play for the rest of the game.

Harshavardhan G B might be the sole IM in the field, he is certainly not going to be an easy opponent for anyone | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Abhimanyu Puranik - GM Adhiban Baskaran: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM R Vaishali and GM Iniyan Pa had a well contested draw | Photo: MGD1

Harika - Diptayan: 0-1

In another first-ever Classical rated game, GM Harika Dronavalli (2487) made a series of mistakes against GM Diptayan Ghosh (2576).

Position after 27...Qh5

28.Rf1? was a mistake Bxh3 29.Qxa5?? another mistake Qe2-+ 30.Bg2 Bxg2 31.Kxg2 Qe4+ here d3 would have probably ended things much sooner.

GM Harika Dronavalli made a series of mistakes in the endgame against GM Diptayan Ghosh | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Pranesh M made a short work of GM Aryan Chopra in 26 moves | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Jayesh Ranjan, IAS Officer, Sports Secretary, Govt. of Telangana made the inaugural first move on Arjun Erigaisi and Awonder Liang's (USA) board | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Round 1 in progress | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

The official commentators - CM Sahil Tickoo, IM Sagar Shah and GM Sahaj Grover | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

For more Round 1 photos, please click here.

Round 1 recap by GM Harshit Raja | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 1 live stream

Replay Round 1 live commentary by CM Sahil Tickoo, Kincso Toth (HUN), IM Sagar Shah and GM Sahaj Grover | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 1 Masters games

Replay Round 1 Challengers games

Masters Round 1 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg	Club/City		White	Result		Black	Rtg	Club/City	No.	PGN
1	1	2597	India	GM	Pranav, V	½ - ½	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2658	India	10	PGN
2	2	2730	Germany	GM	Keymer, Vincent	1 - 0	GM	Nihal, Sarin	2692	India	9	PGN
3	3	2748	Netherlands	GM	Giri, Anish	½ - ½	GM	Robson, Ray	2687	USA	8	PGN
4	4	2720	India	GM	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	½ - ½	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2697	Netherlands	7	PGN
5	5	2776	India	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	1 - 0	GM	Liang, Awonder	2696	USA	6	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB2	TB3
1	2	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2730	Germany	1	0,00	1
	5	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2776	India	1	0,00	1
3	1	GM	Pranav, V	IND	2597	India	0,5	0,25	0
	3	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2748	Netherlands	0,5	0,25	0
	4	GM	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	IND	2720	India	0,5	0,25	0
	7	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2697	Netherlands	0,5	0,25	0
	8	GM	Robson, Ray	USA	2687	USA	0,5	0,25	0
	10	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	IND	2658	India	0,5	0,25	0
9	6	GM	Liang, Awonder	USA	2696	USA	0	0,00	0
	9	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2692	India	0	0,00	0

Details

Round 2 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg	Club/City		White	Result		Black	Rtg	Club/City	No.	PGN
1	10	2658	India	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali		GM	Liang, Awonder	2696	USA	6
2	7	2697	Netherlands	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden		GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2776	India	5
3	8	2687	USA	GM	Robson, Ray		GM	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	2720	India	4
4	9	2692	India	GM	Nihal, Sarin		GM	Giri, Anish	2748	Netherlands	3
5	1	2597	India	GM	Pranav, V		GM	Keymer, Vincent	2730	Germany	2

Details

Challengers Round 1 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg	Club/City		White	Result		Black	Rtg	Club/City	No.	PGN
1	1	2606	India	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	1 - 0	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	2454	India	10	PGN
2	2	2635	India	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	½ - ½	GM	Adhiban, B.	2534	India	9	PGN
3	3	2476	India	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	½ - ½	GM	Iniyan, Pa	2586	India	8	PGN
4	4	2487	India	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	0 - 1	GM	Ghosh, Diptayan	2576	India	7	PGN
5	5	2589	India	GM	Pranesh, M	1 - 0	GM	Aryan, Chopra	2634	India	6	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	7	GM	Ghosh, Diptayan	IND	2576	India	1	0,00	1	1
2	1	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	IND	2606	India	1	0,00	1	0
	5	GM	Pranesh, M	IND	2589	India	1	0,00	1	0
4	2	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	IND	2635	India	0,5	0,25	0	0
	3	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2476	India	0,5	0,25	0	0
	8	GM	Iniyan, Pa	IND	2586	India	0,5	0,25	0	0
	9	GM	Adhiban, B.	IND	2534	India	0,5	0,25	0	0
8	4	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2487	India	0	0,00	0	0
	6	GM	Aryan, Chopra	IND	2634	India	0	0,00	0	0
	10	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	IND	2454	India	0	0,00	0	0

Details

Round 2 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg	Club/City		White	Result		Black	Rtg	Club/City	No.	PGN
1	10	2454	India	IM	Harshavardhan, G B		GM	Aryan, Chopra	2634	India	6
2	7	2576	India	GM	Ghosh, Diptayan		GM	Pranesh, M	2589	India	5
3	8	2586	India	GM	Iniyan, Pa		GM	Dronavalli, Harika	2487	India	4
4	9	2534	India	GM	Adhiban, B.		GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	2476	India	3
5	1	2606	India	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke		GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	2635	India	2

Details

Prize

The total prize fund is ₹1 Crore, for Masters it is ₹7500000, an increase of 50% from previous edition. The top three prizes are ₹2500000, ₹1500000 and ₹1000000. The prize fund in Challengers section is ₹2500000. The top three prizes are ₹700000, ₹400000 and ₹325000.

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