Chennai Grand Masters 2025: India Becomes a Global Chess Hub

By Abhishek Kumar

The prestigious Chennai Grand Masters 2025 chess tournament has officially begun in Chennai, showcasing India’s growing strength in international chess. The event was delayed by one day after a minor fire broke out at the hotel venue. Thankfully, no one was injured.
This is one of the biggest chess events ever held in India. A total of 20 players are competing in two categories Masters and Challengers. Each group has 10 players. They will all play against each other in a round-robin format, using long-time controls (90 minutes + 30 seconds per move).

The total prize money is ₹1 crore. The winner of the Masters group will receive ₹25 lakh. Players can also earn FIDE Circuit points, which help them qualify for future world-level tournaments like the Candidates and World Championship.
India’s top players Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, and Karthikeyan Murali are competing in the Masters category. In the Challengers group, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Adhiban Baskaran are among the Indian stars. International grandmasters like Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer, and Awonder Liang are also participating.

One special moment was the return of GM Harika Dronavalli, who is playing after becoming a mother. She shared how she’s managing motherhood and chess without guilt, inspiring many.

This tournament, supported by Indian legend Viswanathan Anand, is part of India’s dream to become a world leader in chess. With young stars like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa also shining globally, India’s future in chess looks very bright.

The Chennai Grand Masters is not just a tournament it is a clear sign that India is now a major force in world chess.