Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024, Round 1: Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi becomes World No. 3 after a thrilling win over Vidit Gujrathi
Round 1 of Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 kicked off with thrilling clashes and impressive performances in both the Masters and Challengers categories. The Masters saw World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi outlast compatriot Vidit Gujrathi in an epic five-hour duel, clinching victory after a series of strategic maneuvers. Following his win over Vidit, Arjun became the World No. 3 with an ELO rating of 2803.2.
French super grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave also claimed an early win over the Iranian GM Parham Maghsoodloo. The two-time Indian Chess Championship winner Aravindh Chithambaram and the Armenian-American GM Levon Aronian held their own to draw against Amin Tabatabaei and Alexey Sarana, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Challengers category showcased India’s rising stars, with the 18-year-old, Raunak Sadhwani triumphing over Karthikeyan Murali, V Pranav taking down the three-time Women's World Chess Championship bronze medalist Harika Dronavalli, and Leon Mendonca besting Vaishali Rameshbabu.
Abhimanyu Puranik also added to the excitement with a win against Pranesh M. MGD1 and ChessBase India hosted the exhilarating opening round, promising fierce competition as seasoned champions and emerging talents vie for glory in Chennai.
Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024: Round 1 Results
Challengers:
Vaishali Rameshbabu lost to Leon Luke Mendonca 0-1
Raunak Sadhwani beat Karthikeyan Murali 1-0
Pranesh M lost to Abhimanyu Puranik 0-1
Pranav V beat Harika Dronavalli 1-0
Masters:
Aravindh Chithambaram drew with Amin Tabatabaei 0.5 -0.5
Maxime Vachier Lagrave beat Parham Maghsoodloo 1-0
Vidit Gujrathi lost to Arjun Erigaisi 1-0
Levon Aronian drew with Alexey Sarana 0.5 - 0.5
Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024: Round 2 Pairings (From 3:00 PM IST, November 6)
Challengers:
Leon Juke Mendonica vs Harika Dronavalli
Abhimanyu Puranik vs Pranav V
Karthikeyan Murali vs Pranesh M
Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Raunak Sadhwani
Masters:
Amin Tabatabaei vs Alexey Sarana
Arjun Erigaisi vs Levon Aronian
Parham Maghsoodloo vs Vidit Gujrathi
Aravindh Chithambaram vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave