What Happened to the Chennai Grand Masters? Postponement Due to Fire Incident!

New Delhi, Aug 6 (NationPress) The Chennai Grand Masters 2025, recognized as India's premier classical chess tournament, has been delayed by one day following a fire incident at the Hyatt Regency Chennai on Tuesday night, according to the organizers on Wednesday.

The much-anticipated third edition was originally set to commence on August 6, featuring a major opening round face-off between World No. 5 Arjun Erigaisi and the American chess prodigy Awonder Liang. However, a fire at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, designated as the event's venue, necessitated the postponement until Thursday.

"An unexpected electrical fire incident at the hotel has forced the postponement of the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters by a day. We are thankful to report that everyone is safe and no injuries were reported," the organizers announced in a statement on X.

Following the fire incident, all participants in both the Masters and Challengers sections, along with their coaches and officials, were promptly evacuated to another hotel.

"There was a fire at Hotel Hyatt Regency last night, which was set to host the Chennai GM. All players are safe and have been relocated to a nearby hotel. The tournament has been postponed by one day,” shared Indian GM and tournament director Srinath Narayanan on his X account.

As reported by ChessBase, late at night, an emergency arose at Hotel Hyatt Regency in Chennai. Due to an electric fire on the 9th floor, the entire hotel filled with smoke, requiring everyone to evacuate before conditions worsened.

All players and officials were accommodated in Hotel Pullman for the night, and they are expected to return to the tournament venue on Thursday morning.

The nine-round, ten-day event, featuring 19 top GMs and an International Master (IM) from both India and around the globe, is scheduled to run until August 15, with a total prize pool of Rs 1 crore and valuable FIDE circuit points at stake.

This year’s tournament has been divided into two elite round-robin sections, Masters and Challengers, each consisting of 10 players.

The Masters lineup includes a formidable combination of global and Indian chess talent. In addition to Erigaisi and Liang, the opening round will showcase top-seeded Dutch GM Anish Giri against American GM Ray Robson, while Vidit Gujrathi, Vincent Keymer, Nihal Sarin, and others prepare for high-stakes encounters.

The Challengers section boasts a competitive array of seasoned Grandmasters and emerging Indian talent, with Round 1 set to feature thrilling matchups among Indian stars.

The section winner will receive Rs 7 lakh and guarantee a spot in the 2026 Masters, thereby highlighting the tournament’s dedication to fostering India’s future Grandmasters.