How is Vincent Keymer Performing in the Chennai Grand Masters 2025?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Vincent Keymer holds the top position despite consecutive draws.
- Upcoming showdown between Keymer and Arjun Erigaisi is highly anticipated.
- The tournament features a substantial prize pool of ₹1 Crore.
- Two sections: Masters and Challengers, showcasing the best of chess talent.
- FIDE Circuit points contribute to future qualification opportunities.
Chennai, Aug 11 (NationPress) German GM Vincent Keymer has successfully retained his position at the top of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025 leaderboard, despite experiencing his second consecutive draw, this time against GM Vidit Gujrathi in Round 5 on Monday.
The outcome kept Keymer a point ahead of his closest competitor, Arjun Erigaisi, who also faced a draw against fellow countryman Pranav V.
On day 6, Erigaisi and Keymer are set to clash in a thrilling match between the frontrunners, with Keymer starting with the white pieces.
Now in its third iteration, the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 stands as India's premier classical chess tournament. Organized by MGD1, it features two prestigious 10-player round-robin sections—Masters and Challengers—spanning nine rounds over ten days. With a remarkable ₹1 Crore prize pool, the Masters champion will receive ₹25 Lakhs, while the Challengers winner will take home ₹7 Lakhs and a coveted spot in the 2026 Masters. The event also awards FIDE Circuit points, with the Masters champion accumulating 24.5 points towards qualification for the 2026 Candidates tournament.
In the Masters section, Jorden van Foreest achieved the only decisive result of the day, defeating American GM Ray Robson to equal their point total at 2.0 each. Nihal Sarin drew against Awonder Liang, while Anish Giri shared points with Murali Karthikeyan in a well-matched game.
The Challengers section showcased an impressive performance for the black pieces on the top boards, with leader GM Abhimanyu Puranik defeating GM Harika Dronavalli to extend his lead to a commanding full point. IM Harshavardhan GB secured a victory with black against GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, while GM Leon Luke Mendonca held GM Pranesh M to a draw, remaining joint second. GM Iniyan Pa also shared points with GM Diptayan Ghosh.