Chennai, Aug 10 (IANS) Nihal Sarin claimed his first victory of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, defeating compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in Round 4 on Sunday to halt his unbeaten run. German GM Vincent Keymer, meanwhile, extended his own undefeated streak to four games after drawing with Dutch star Anish Giri, holding on to a one-point lead at the top of the standings.

Now in its third year, the Chennai Grand Masters 2025 is India’s strongest classical chess event. Organised by MGD1, it features two elite 10-player round-robin sections – Masters and Challengers – across nine rounds in ten days. With a Rs 1 crore prize pool, the Masters winner earns Rs 25 lakh, the Challengers winner Rs 7 lakh and a coveted 2026 Masters berth. The event also offers FIDE Circuit points, with the Masters champion securing 24.5 toward 2026 Candidates qualification.

Nihal’s win over Arjun came after a tense, strategic battle that began with the Reti Opening, with Arjun mirroring his compatriot’s setup. With chess legend Vishwanathan Anand presiding in the commentary box, providing fans with a unique live experience, the game unfolded at a measured pace, with Arjun claiming the first piece on move 15.

A tightly contested middlegame gradually opened up, allowing Nihal to press his advantage and convert on move 70 for his first victory of the 2025 edition. Elsewhere, GM Murali Karthikeyan also impressed, defeating Jorden van Foreest to climb up the standings.

In other Masters results, GM Vidit Gujrathi and GM Pranav V split the points after a balanced encounter, while the all-American clash between GM Awonder Liang and GM Ray Robson also ended with half-a-point apiece. Keymer’s draw with Giri kept him in the sole lead, while Nihal’s victory over Arjun injected fresh intrigue into the title race.

In the Challengers section, GM Abhimanyu Puranik emerged as the sole leader after defeating WGM Vaishali Rameshbabu with the white pieces, capitalising on hitherto joint leader M Pranesh’s draw against GM Adhiban Baskaran. GM Diptayan Ghosh scored a win by beating Harshavardhan GB, while GM Leon Luke Mendonca also stayed in contention with a victory over GM Harika Dronavalli–both moving level with Pranesh on 3 points. GM P Iniyan overcame GM Aryan Chopra to move to 2.5 points.

–IANS

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