New Delhi: French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja was crowned champion of the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters after holding off Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi to draw in the final on Wednesday, while world champion D Gukesh endured a disappointing campaign, ending the elite tournament.Firouzja finished the tournament with 4.5 points with two wins and five draws in seven streaks. The Frenchman, who started the event with back-to-back wins, maintained his momentum in the round-robin competition to claim the title and collect the winner’s prize of Rs 25 lakh.
Firouzja has the nerve to win the title
Heading into the final round, Firouzja secured a crucial advantage over his biggest rivals 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 alive.However, Abdusattorov’s ambitious strategy backfired when he met Andreikin in the 37th round. This meant that Firouzja and Erigaisi’s draw was enough to seal the crown.Playing with white pieces, Erigaisi tried to create a winning chance, but Firouzja faced the challenges with confidence. The two players finally agreed to make a draw after 41 games of rook-and-pawn, and the Indian Grandmaster could not find a real way to win.The Chennai Grand Masters featured eight Grandmasters competing in the round, with a prize purse of Rs 75 lakh and a valuable FIDE Circuit spot at stake.
Gukesh’s hard run continues
While Firouzja celebrated a memorable victory, it was a forgettable tournament for India’s all-rounder D Gukesh.The Chennai lad struggled to find his groove throughout, losing three of his seven matches and finishing bottom of the table with just two points.Gukesh managed to avoid another defeat in the final, drawing Hans Niemann, but it was not enough to lift him from eighth place in the final standings.The result was a record low for the 20-year-old, who enjoyed a historic feat last year when he became the world’s youngest chess champion.
Andreikin finishes undefeated, Erigaisi among the runners
Andreikin finished the tournament as the only undefeated player besides Firouzja, finishing with four points after defeating Abdusattorov in the final.Erigaisi also finished with four points, while Abdusattorov, Nihal Sarin and M Pranesh shared fourth place with 3.5 points.The final results showed Gukesh drawing with Niemann, Nihal Sarin drawing with Pranesh, Firouzja drawing with Erigaisi, and Andreikin defeating Abdusattorov.
