A nice mix of ambitious chess stars
The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 is set to take place from 6 to 15 August, bringing together an exciting mix of world-class players and rising talents. Hosted at the Hyatt Regency Chennai, the tournament has quickly established itself as a key fixture in the international chess season.
This third edition continues to build on its reputation as a well-organised classical event with a strong field and a clear developmental focus.
As in the second edition last year, the event is split into two sections: the Masters, featuring elite grandmasters from India and abroad, and the Challengers, which provides a competitive platform for some of India’s most promising players. Both sections follow a single round-robin format with ten participants playing nine rounds. The classical time control remains unchanged: 90 minutes for the game plus a 30-second increment from move one.
If players finish tied for first place in either section, the winner will be decided via a blitz tiebreak (two games at 3+2), followed by an Armageddon game if necessary. Alongside the title and prize money, the tournament carries FIDE Circuit points, giving players a chance to improve their standings in the race toward the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
This year’s Masters field is led by India’s second-ranked player Arjun Erigaisi, who is joined by international stars such as Anish Giri and Vincent Keymer, alongside Olympic teammate Vidit Gujrathi. They’ll be facing tough competition from a younger generation of talents including Nihal Sarin and Pranav Venkatesh, with Ray Robson and Awonder Liang bringing additional strength from the United States. Karthikeyan Murali joins the Masters as a last-minute replacement for Vladimir Fedoseev, who withdrew prior to the start.
In the Challengers section, all eyes will be on emerging Indian players aiming to earn a spot in next year’s Masters event. The lineup includes experienced GMs such as Abhimanyu Puranik and Aryan Chopra, as well as younger stars like Leon Luke Mendonca and Pranesh M. With a significant prize pool and a pathway to future top-level competition on the line, the Challengers promises to be just as competitive as the main event.
Full lineups
Masters
- Arjun Erigaisi (India, world number 5)
- Anish Giri (Netherlands)
- Vincent Keymer (Germany)
- Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (India)
- Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)
- Awonder Liang (USA)
- Nihal Sarin (India)
- Ray Robson (USA)
- Karthikeyan Murali (India, promoted after Fedoseev’s withdrawal)
- Pranav Venkatesh (India, 2024 Challengers winner & reigning World Junior Champion)
Challengers (all from India)
- Abhimanyu Puranik
- Aryan Chopra
- Leon Luke Mendonca
- Pranesh M
- Iniyan P
- Diptayan Ghosh
- Adhiban Baskaran
- Vaishali Rameshbabu
- Harshavardhan GB (IM)
