Quantbox Chennai GM R2: Nihal misses big against Giri, Keymer wins two in-a-row

by Shahid Ahmed - 09/08/2025

The second round of Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 witnessed four decisive games. The reigning Dutch champion, GM Jorden van Foreest (NED) held the World no.5, GM Arjun Erigaisi to a draw. GM Ray Robson (USA) won an exciting rollercoaster game against GM Vidit Gujrathi. GM Nihal Sarin missed quite a few opportunities to beat GM Anish Giri (NED). It ended in a draw. World no.21, GM Vincent Keymer (GER) scored his second consecutive win at the event. This time he got the better of the reigning World Junior champion, GM Pranav Venkatesh. In the Challengers section, GM Iniyan Pa and GM Abhimanyu Puranik scored the full point over GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Leon Luke Mendonca respectively. Round 3 starts today at 3 p.m. IST. Photo: Himank Ghosh

Robson wins a rollercoaster battle against Vidit

Masters: Nihal - Giri: 0.5-0.5

GM Nihal Sarin (2692) played plenty of games against GM Anish Giri (NED, 2748). Yet, this is their first-ever Classical rated game against each other.

Position after 31...Qe6?

31...Qe6? allowed White to open the g-file which he wanted 32.exf5 Qxf5 33.g4 hxg4 34.Rxg4 Bd2 35.Rc2 White needed to keep his rook on the third rank. Thus, 35.Rb3 having the idea of d4 and swinging the rook to g3 would have been more plausible.

Position after 54...Rf7??

54...Rf7?? was the final mistake by Black 55.Rg3 f2 56.Qg4 Rg7 57.Qf5+ Kg8 58.Rf3 would have been winning for White. Instead, the game continued 58.Qd8? Rg7 59.Rxg7+ Bxg7 60.Qg5 e4 61.Qg6+ Kh8 62.c5! was White's final opportunity to push for a win. 58.dxe4?? Qxe4 59.Qg3 d3 60.Qf3 Qxf3 and the game ended in a draw.

Final moments: GM Nihal Sarin - GM Anish Giri | Video: ChessBase India

Nihal Sarin missed a few good chances against Anish Giri (NED) | Photo: Himank Ghosh

GM Karthikeyan Murali - GM Awonder Liang: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Jorden van Foreest (NED) - GM Arjun Erigaisi: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Robson - Vidit: 1-0

GM Ray Robson (USA, 2687) and GM Vidit Gujrathi (2720) played only one Classical rated game way back in 2011. Vidit was yet to become a GM then. That game had ended in a draw. This time it was a wild game where the American decided to sacrifice his queen for a rook and knight.

Position after 27...Ne3

White opted for the enterprising option 28.Rxc8 Nxc4 29.Rxc4 Qb6 30.Bxg7 Qb3 instead computer recommends 30...Bxg3 31.Bxf8 Bxf2+ 32.Kh1 Kxf8 to be better for Black. 31.Bxf8? Qxc4-+ Black got a decisive advantage, however, he could not capitalize on it. After a bit of erroneous play by Black, White won the game using his rook, bishop and knight.

Ray Robson - Vidit Gujrathi, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

GM Ray Robson (USA) won an exciting battle against GM Vidit Gujrathi | Photo: Himank Ghosh

GM Vincent Keymer (GER) won his second consecutive game of the event, this time against GM Pranav Venkatesh | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Challengers: Iniyan and Abhimanyu score

Leon - Abhimanyu

Position after 40...Qe6

In an already difficult position, GM Leon Luke Mendonca (2606) made the mistake of retreating his bishop 41.Be2?? allowing his opponent GM Abhimanyu Puranik's (2635) queen to invade Qe4-+ 42.Bf3 Qc2 43.Qe2 Qxe2 44.Bxe2 Rb6 and Black won in the next few moves.

GM Leon Luke Mendonca - GM Abhimanyu Puranik: 0-1 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Diptayan Ghosh - GM Pranesh M: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM Iniyan Pa defeated GM Harika Dronavalli comfortably | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

GM B Adhiban - GM R Vaishali: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Himank Ghosh

Ceremonial first move was made by Prashant Singh, Founder and CEO of Quantbox Research on GM Pranav Venkatesh and GM Vincent Keymer's (GER) board | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

Spectators following the Round 2 games in person at the venue with commentary | Photo: Anmol Bhargav

For more Round 2 photos, please click here.

Round 2 recap by GM Harshit Raja | Video: ChessBase India

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Replay Round 2 live commentary by CM Sahil Tickoo, Kincso Toth (HUN), IM Sagar Shah and GM Sahaj Grover | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 2 Masters games

Replay Round 2 Challengers games

Masters Round 2 results

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

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	2	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2730	Germany	2	1,00	2	1
2	5	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2776	India	1,5	1,00	1	0
	8	GM	Robson, Ray	USA	2687	USA	1,5	1,00	1	0
4	3	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2748	Netherlands	1	1,00	0	0
	7	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2697	Netherlands	1	1,00	0	0
6	10	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	IND	2658	India	1	0,50	0	0
7	1	GM	Pranav, V	IND	2597	India	0,5	0,50	0	0
	4	GM	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	IND	2720	India	0,5	0,50	0	0
	6	GM	Liang, Awonder	USA	2696	USA	0,5	0,50	0	0
	9	GM	Nihal, Sarin	IND	2692	India	0,5	0,50	0	0

Details

Round 3 pairings

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

Details

Challengers Round 2 results

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

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	2	GM	Puranik, Abhimanyu	IND	2635	India	1,5	0	1,50	1	1
2	5	GM	Pranesh, M	IND	2589	India	1,5	0	1,25	1	0
3	7	GM	Ghosh, Diptayan	IND	2576	India	1,5	0	0,75	1	1
4	8	GM	Iniyan, Pa	IND	2586	India	1,5	0	0,50	1	0
5	3	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2476	India	1	0	1,25	0	0
	9	GM	Adhiban, B.	IND	2534	India	1	0	1,25	0	0
7	1	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	IND	2606	India	1	0	0,50	1	0
8	6	GM	Aryan, Chopra	IND	2634	India	0,5	0,5	0,25	0	0
	10	IM	Harshavardhan, G B	IND	2454	India	0,5	0,5	0,25	0	0
10	4	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2487	India	0	0	0,00	0	0

Details

Round 3 pairings

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

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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