The Chennai Grand Masters 2026, India’s prestigious classical chess tournament, will commence at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel. The event will feature a high-profile match between world champion Dommaraju Gukesh and Nihal Sarin, offering exciting clashes over seven days. Eight grandmasters will compete in a double-round robin format, with games starting at 3:00 PM IST from Thursday.
The tournament lineup includes four Indian players and four foreign grandmasters, vying for a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points. Notably, last year’s Challenger winner M. Pranesh will face Frenchman Alireza Firouzja in the opening round, while Arjun Erigaisi will play against Dmitry Andreikin. The opening day will also see Uzbekistan’s GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov against the USA’s GM Hans Niemann.
Chennai Grand Masters has been a significant event for many players, with Gukesh, the inaugural edition’s winner, progressing to the Candidates and eventually clinching the world title. As the sole former champion in this year’s lineup, Gukesh adds to the tournament’s prestige. Sreekar Channapragada, Co-founder of MGD1, emphasized the tournament’s role as a platform for Indian chess talent to compete against global stars on home turf, expressing confidence in captivating the fans with top-notch chess.
