NEW DELHI: French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja was crowned champion of the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters after holding Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi to a par in the grand final on Wednesday, while world champion D Gukesh endured a disappointing campaign, finishing last in the elite tournament.Firouzja finished the competition with 4.5 points after making two wins and five draws in seven rounds. The Frenchman, who started the event with back-to-back wins, maintained his consistency throughout the round-robin tournament to claim the title and take home the winner’s prize of Rs 25 lakh.
Firouzja has the nerve to clinch the title
In the final round, Firouzja had a crucial half-point lead over nearest challengers Erigaisi and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov.While Firouzja only needed a draw against Erigaisi to secure the championship, Abdusattorov needed a win with the black pieces against Dmitry Andreikin to keep his title hopes alive.However, Abdusattorov’s ambitious approach backfired as he crashed out against Andreikin in 37 moves. This result meant that Firouzja’s draw with Erigaisi was enough to seal the crown.Playing with the white pieces, Erigaisi tried to create chances to win, but Firouzja handled the pressure with confidence. The two players eventually agreed to a draw after 41 moves in a rook-and-pawn finale, with the Indian Grandmaster unable to find a realistic path to victory.The Chennai Grandmasters featured eight Grandmasters competing in a round-robin format, with a total prize purse of Rs 75 lakh and valuable FIDE Circuit points at stake.
Gukesh’s difficult run continues
While Firouzja celebrated a memorable triumph, it was a tournament to forget for India’s world champion D Gukesh.The youngster from Chennai struggled to find his rhythm throughout the event, losing three of his seven matches and finishing at the bottom of the table with just two points.Gukesh managed to avoid another defeat in the final round, defeating Hans Niemann, but it was not enough to lift him from eighth place in the final standings.The result marked a rare low point for the 20-year-old, who enjoyed a historic rise over the past year after becoming the youngest world chess champion.
Andreikin finishes unbeaten, Erigaisi among the runners-up
Andreikin finished the tournament as the only unbeaten player outside of Firouzja, finishing with four points after defeating Abdusattorov in the final round.Erigaisi also finished with four points, while Abdusattorov, Nihal Sarin and M Pranesh shared fourth place with 3.5 points.The final round results saw Gukesh draw with Niemann, Nihal Sarin draw with Pranesh, Firouzja draw with Erigaisi, and Andreikin defeat Abdusattorov.