Chennai Grand Masters: Alireza Firouzja wins title after draw against Arjuna

French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja won the title at the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters after holding off Indian Arjun Erigaisi with a draw in the seventh and final round on Wednesday.

Firouzja finished with 4.5 points after two wins and five draws from seven rounds and remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. His strong start, marked by back-to-back wins in the opening two rounds, proved decisive as he fended off a late challenge from Erigaisi and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusatorov for the title.

The Frenchman entered the final round with a half-point lead over Erigaisi and Abdusattorov, all he needed was a draw to secure the crown.

The fight for the title took a decisive turn when Abdusattorov, who had to win with the black pieces to keep his hopes alive, lost to Dmitry Andreykin in 37 moves. The defeat ended the Uzbek grandmaster’s challenge and left Firouzja in complete control of her destiny.

Against Erigais, Firouzja took a measured approach and safely transferred the game to the rook and pawn endgame. The Indian grandmaster found little room to create chances to win as the contest ended in a 41-move draw, confirming Firouzja as the champion.

The title earned the Frenchman a winner’s purse of Rs 25 crore. His unbeaten run of two wins and five draws underlined a campaign built on consistency rather than risk, with his early wins providing the platform for success.

Andreikin, the only other undefeated player in the tournament, finished joint second with Erigaisi on four points.

Abdusattorov shared fourth place with Indian grandmasters Nihal Sarin and M Pranesh with 3.5 points.

World champion D Gukesh’s struggles continued as he finished bottom of the eight-man table with two points after losing three of seven matches. The Indian signed off with a draw against American Grandmaster Hans Niemann, but could not recover from a difficult week.

Results of the 7th round

GM D Gukesh (2) drew with GM Hans Niemann (3)

GM Nihal Sarin (3.5) tied with GM M Pranesh (3.5)

GM Alireza Firouzja (4.5) tied with GM Arjun Erigaisi (4)

GM Dmitry Andreikin (4) defeated GM Nodirbek Abdusatorov (3.5)

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

22 Jul 2026 20:41 IST