Chennai Chess Grand Masters: Arjun Erigaisi registers win over Vidit Gujrathi in opening match

Arjun Erigaisi, participating in his first home tournament since his historic 2800 ELO Rating, beat compatriot Vidit Gujrathi after five hours of end-to-end action in the opening round of the Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 in Chennai on Monday to mark a positive start. Arjun will be aiming to replicate the achievements of last year's winner Gukesh Dommaraju, who used the triumph at this competition to propel himself into the Candidates, and, eventually, the World Chess Championship.

The Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 featured two categories - Masters & Challengers. With a rating average of 2729, the Masters presents a more competitive field this time around. The debuting Challengers, meanwhile, is designed to provide emerging Indian talent the chance to compete in a top-class tournament.

Kailasanathan Swaminathan, former Managing Director of Microsense Private Limited, made the ceremonial first move in the highly anticipated match between Vidit and Arjun, officially marking the start of the tournament. Vidit, commanding the white pieces, launched his onslaught with a King's Pawn Opening, before Arjun countered with the French Variation of the Sicilian Defense.

The two Grandmasters battled on, exchanging blows at frequent intervals, before engaging in a gritty finish to the game that witnessed Arjun coming out on top after just over five hours of play. Rising Indian talent Aravindh Chithambaram-currently ranked 29th in the world-faced Amin Tabatabaei on board 1, managing to secure a hard-fought draw against the Iranian grandmaster.

On board 4, the USA's Levon Aronian, who is the tournament's second-highest-ranked player, also drew his match with Serbia's Alexey Sarana. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, starting his run in the competition with the black pieces, triumphed over Parham Maghsoodloo, propelling himself to the top of the Masters leaderboard.

The Challengers segment of the Chennai Grand Masters 2024 featured exciting matches and standout performances. Raunak Sadhwani, the leading player in this inaugural category, demonstrated his prowess with a commanding win against Karthikeyan Murali, establishing a formidable benchmark. Leon Mendonca showcased strategic skill in his match against Vaishali R, ultimately emerging victorious.

V Pranav claimed victory over Harika Dronavalli, while Abhimanyu Puranik secured a win against M Pranesh in another gripping contest. The Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 is taking place at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai from November 5 to 11. (ANI)