Chennai Grand Masters 2025: Nihal Sarin stuns India's No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi in round 4

Arjun Erigasi remained in the 2nd position overall after round 4 of Chennai Grand Masters 2025.

Nihal Sarin entered round 4 of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025 with one such ‘great challenge’. After losing the first two games, Sarin was about to face India’s No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi, facing an uphill task that was ready to test his courage greatly. 

The game began with 1.Nf3 by Nihal, a flexible and non-committal move, followed by 2.b3, heading into a setup similar to the Zukertort or Nimzo-Larsen Attack. Nihal Sarin played creatively and handled the opening’s unusual structure with confidence.

Black responded solidly with symmetrical development, and both sides quickly brought out their bishops and knights. 

By move 6, both players had developed well, but White’s setup was slightly unorthodox. Black opted for a King’s Indian-like fianchetto and central push with 7…e5, setting the stage for an interesting middlegame.

Black initiated an aggressive pawn push on the kingside with 11…h5-h4-h3, trying to open White’s kingside position. This early expansion forces White to respond accurately, moving the knight to h1.

The position became sharp around move 23 when White played Nxf6+, exchanging pieces and leading to an imbalanced position after 24.Nh5. Black proceeds with a kingside attack, but White effectively neutralises it.

Arjun Erigaisi’s aggressive kingside plan was interesting but became overextended, ultimately giving Nihal a better position in the middlegame. The game featured nice tactical awareness from both sides, but White ultimately displayed better endgame understanding and technique. 

After a flurry of tactical exchanges, both sides reached an endgame where White was up an exchange and a pawn. White simplified with good technique, eventually creating a passed pawn.

From move 40 onward, Nihal gradually increased pressure. A series of pawn pushes and precise knight maneuvering, most notably 45.Ne5 and 50.Nd3 allowed White to dominate the board.

Eventually, White deployed a simple tactic with a pawn promotion on move 69 (d8=Q). Black captured the promoted queen with 69…Kxd8, but White responded with 70.Ne6+, leading to an unstoppable fork and clear winning advantage. 

The final position left Arjun with no doubt about the outcome, which was in Nihal’s favor. With this game, Nihal opened his account after a rather silent start. This result also meant Arjun Erigasi remained at the 2nd position overall after round 4, trailing behind Vincent Keymar.

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