Top five players to watch out for at Chennai Grand Masters 2025
Arjun Erigaisi will lead India’s challenge at the Chennai Grand Masters 2025.
The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 will take place from August 6 to 16, with ten players participating in the classical round-robin format. Organized by the MGD1 Academy and Quantbox, this is the third edition of the event, following the successful editions held in 2023 and 2024.
Indian GM Gukesh Dommaraju won the first edition, while GM Aravindh Chithambaram won the second. It helped promote high-level classical chess in India, giving local grandmasters exposure against established international names.
The 2025 lineup features a strong mix of top-rated Indian players and international talents. Here are the top five players to watch at Chennai Grand Masters 2025.
5. Nihal Sarin (India)
Nihal Sarin‘s current classical rating is 2692, and he is one of the most active Indian Grandmasters. While known for his rapid and blitz success, he has improved his classical consistency in 2025 with several solid results against 2600+ opponents. He also finished second at the Asian Individual Chess Championships in May.
At the 2025 Esports World Cup, Nihal defeated both Anish Giri and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with clean 2-0 scorelines, advancing to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Magnus Carlsen. Compared to Arjun and Vidit, Nihal is yet to make a classical breakthrough by crossing 2700, but his current form and high match volume make him a serious threat.
4. Vincent Keymer (Germany)
Vincent Keymer is the top-rated German chess player, with a classical rating of 2730 as of August 2025. He has delivered strong performances in team events and open tournaments across Europe, including winning the German Championship in May 2025 and the Akiba Rubinstein Festival in August 2024.
At the 2025 Esports World Cup, Keymer competed in the Last Chance Qualifier but was eliminated in the group stage.
Although his classical head-to-head records against players like Arjun Erigaisi and Anish Giri are slightly negative, he has been improving steadily, with notable victories in 2025, and remains a serious international contender.
3. Vidit Gujrathi (India)
Vidit Gujrathi secured sixth place at the 2024 Candidates Tournament, with impressive wins in both encounters against Hikaru Nakamura. He qualified for the Candidates 2024 by winning the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023, scoring 8.5/11, and has won two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad.
In March 2025, Vidit clinched victory in the Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Play-In, earning a spot in the main Grand Slam event.
Although his results have lacked consistency in recent years, he remains one of the most experienced players in the region and is a domestic favourite in India.
2. Anish Giri (Netherlands)
Anish Giri brings more top-level experience than anyone else in the field. He has participated in several candidate tournaments and is currently ranked World No. 10 with a live classical rating of 2748.
At the Esports World Cup 2025, Giri was eliminated early after losing 2-0 to Nihal Sarin in the knockout stage. Despite limited classical activity in 2025, Giri’s experience and positive head-to-head record against players like Vidit Gujrathi and Vladimir Fedoseev make him a top contender for the title.
1. Arjun Erigaisi (India)
Arjun Erigaisi is currently ranked World No. 6 in live classical ratings with an ELO of 2776. He became the second Indian player, after Viswanathan Anand, to cross the 2750 mark and has maintained consistent results in over-the-board classical events.
Most recently, at the Esports Chess World Cup in Riyadh, Arjun reached the semifinals before losing to Alireza Firouzja, and then narrowly lost to Hikaru Nakamura in the third-place match.
As a result, he finished fourth in the tournament. Arjun has a favorable record against many of the world’s top players and is currently India’s second-highest-rated classical player, 3 ELO points behind R. Praggnanandhaa.
Other notable participants in the Masters field of Chennai Grand Masters include GM Vladimir Fedoseev, GM Jorden van Foreest, GM Awonder Liang, GM Ray Robson, and GM Pranav Venkatesh, one of India’s fastest-rising talents, who will be looking to make a mark against elite competition.
When and where will Chennai Grand Masters 2025 take place?
The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 will be held from August 6 to 15, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency, Chennai.
What is the format of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025?
The event follows a classical round-robin format with 10 players. Each player faces every other participant once across nine rounds, with standard classical time controls.
Who are the top Indian players participating in the Chennai Grand Masters 2025 this year?
The top Indian players in the 2025 edition include GM Arjun Erigaisi (top seed), GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Nihal Sarin, and GM Pranav Venkatesh, one of India’s most promising rising stars.
How does Chennai Grand Masters 2025 impact global chess rankings?
Since it is a FIDE-rated classical event featuring top-100 players, performances here directly affect FIDE world rankings. Strong results could help players gain Elo points and improve qualification chances for future events like the FIDE Grand Swiss, World Cup, or Candidates Tournament.
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Ansh is a sports content creator and aspiring data scientist with a focus on Olympic sports like badminton and chess. A state-level badminton player and 1900+ rated chess enthusiast, his content has been reshared by top athletes including HS Prannoy and Vidit Gujrathi. Follow Ansh for the latest updates on your favorite sports!
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