Indian Grandmaster M. Pranesh secured a victory against world champion D Gukesh, while GM Nihal Sarin triumphed over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026 chess tournament. French GM Alireza Firouzja leads with 4 points after drawing his Round 6 game, with Erigaisi and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov following closely with 3.5 points.
The tournament, organized by MGD1, features eight grandmasters competing in a round-robin format, offering a prize purse of ₹ 75,00,000 and valuable FIDE Circuit points. In a strategic move, Pranesh capitalized on Gukesh’s errors to claim his first win in 39 moves, while Sarin’s brilliant rook sacrifice against Erigaisi led to a decisive victory after 60 moves.
Erigaisi, previously in joint lead with Firouzja, now shares the second spot with Abdusattorov at 3.5 points. With only two rounds remaining, the competition intensifies as players gear up for the final showdown at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel.
