India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi will face tough competition from seasoned compatriot Vidit Gujrathi and Netherland's top player Anish Giri during the expanded third edition of the Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament, starting from Wednesday.
The event, which carries a winner's purse of Rs 1 crore, will be competed for the first time over nine rounds in classical round robin format across Masters and Challengers segments.
This year's Masters field includes a powerful mix of global and Indian talent.
Alongside Erigaisi and Liang, the opening round will see top-seeded Dutch GM Anish face American GM Ray Robson, while Gujrathi, Vincent Keymer, Nihal Sarin, and others are all set for high-stakes match-ups.
World No. 5 Erigaisi will open his campaign against American prodigy Awonder Liang.
While the highly-anticipated clash between two Indian grandmasters Erigaisi and Gujrathi is set for Round 8 on August 14.
The tournament, which was played over seven rounds in the previous two editions, will see participation from 19 Grandmasters and will offer crucial FIDE Circuit points.
The points will be vital for securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, just like it helped eventual world champion D Gukesh to enter the Candidates.
Erigasi, who has broken into the elite 2800 FIDE rating club, will also face strong challenge from promising Sarin and Germany's 20-year-old Vincent Keymer, who was D Gukesh's second during last year's World Championship.
But his toughest competitor will be Giri, who brings a wealth of experience and a super-solid style that makes him one of the tournament favourites.
Apart from the established names, India's Pranav V and Karthikeyan Murali too are capable of effecting some stunning results.
As for the format, the latest edition marks a significant expansion, growing into a 20-player event split into two distinct 10-player sections: the Masters and the Challengers.
This new structure provides a direct pathway for rising stars to compete at the highest level, with the Challengers winner earning a guaranteed spot in the 2026 Masters.
Meanwhile, the Challengers section features some equally exciting talents in D Harika, who was a part of the gold winning women's team at the 45th Chess Olympiad last year.
R Vaishali, Harshvardhan GB, Abhimanyu Puranik experienced Grandmaster Adhiban Baskaran, who is known for his aggressive style, will also be in contention.
Round 1 Pairings:
Masters: Arjun Erigaisi vs Awonder Liang, Anish Giri vs Ray Robson, Vidit Gujrathi vs Jorden Van Foreest, Vincent Keymer vs Nihal Sarin, Pranav V vs Karthikeyan Murali
Challengers: Leon Luke Mendonca vs Harshavardhan GB, Abhimanyu Puranik vs Adhiban Baskaran, Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Iniyan P, Dronavalli Harika vs Diptayan Ghosh, Pranesh M vs Aryan Chopra
