French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja maintained his lead in the Chennai Grand Masters 2026 chess tournament, holding a half-point advantage over India’s Arjun Erigaisi after Round 4 concluded with draws. The tournament, hosted at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel, saw over 500 chess enthusiasts witnessing the action live, with the opportunity to engage with the renowned Viswanathan Anand, who made the ceremonial first move in a match.
Eight grandmasters participated in a round-robin format, competing for a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points. Firouzja, having won his first two matches, and Erigaisi, who secured a full point in the third round, intensified the title race. Erigaisi, playing with white pieces, agreed to a draw against compatriot M Pranesh after a balanced match that lasted 34 moves.
World Champion D Gukesh’s encounter with GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov ended in a draw after 41 moves, despite Gukesh’s efforts with the black pieces. Firouzja, playing against GM Hans Niemann, settled for a draw after 50 moves, maintaining his lead in the standings.
