Arjun Erigaisi, participating in his first home tournament since achieving a historic 2800 ELO rating, defeated compatriot Vidit Gujrathi after five hours of intense play in the opening round of the Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 in Chennai on Monday.
The Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 features two categories: Masters and Challengers. With a rating average of 2729, the Masters category promises a more competitive field this year. The newly introduced Challengers segment is designed to give emerging Indian talent the chance to compete in a premier event.
The ceremonial first move in the much-anticipated match between Vidit and Arjun was made by Kailasanathan Swaminathan, former Managing Director of Microsense Private Limited, officially marking the start of the tournament. Vidit, playing with the white pieces, opened with a King’s Pawn Opening, while Arjun countered with the French Variation of the Sicilian Defense.
The two grandmasters engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging tactical blows before Arjun ultimately emerged victorious after just over five hours of play.
On board 1, rising Indian talent Aravindh Chithambaram, currently ranked 29th in the world, secured a hard-fought draw against Iranian grandmaster Amin Tabatabaei. On board 4, the USA’s Levon Aronian, the tournament’s second-highest-ranked player, also drew his match with Serbia’s Alexey Sarana. Meanwhile, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, playing with the black pieces, defeated Parham Maghsoodloo to secure an early lead on the Masters leaderboard.
In the Challengers section, the Chennai Grand Masters 2024 saw thrilling performances. Raunak Sadhwani, the top-ranked player in this inaugural category, displayed dominance with a commanding win over Karthikeyan Murali. Leon Mendonca showcased strategic skill in his victory against Vaishali R, while V Pranav bested Harika Dronavalli, and Abhimanyu Puranik claimed a win over M Pranesh in another intense match.
The Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 is being held at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai from November 5 to 11.
