World champion D. Gukesh will face Nihal Sarin in the opening round of the Chennai Grand Masters 2026, which begins in Chennai on Thursday.
The marquee all-Indian clash was confirmed at the draw ceremony on Wednesday, with the fourth edition of the tournament featuring eight grandmasters in a seven-round round-robin format.
Last edition’s Challenger segment champion M. Pranesh will begin his campaign with the white pieces against France’s Alireza Firouzja, while Arjun Erigaisi will take on Dmitry Andreikin.
The only opening-round game without an Indian player will see Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov face American grandmaster Hans Niemann.
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The field comprises four Indian and four overseas players, with a total prize purse of Rs. 75 lakh and FIDE Circuit points on offer.
The tournament will run for seven days, with each player facing every other member of the field once.
Gukesh will be the only former champion in the field. He won the inaugural edition in 2023, a result that helped him qualify for the Candidates Tournament before he went on to become world champion.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Hans Niemann; Arjun Erigaisi vs Dmitry Andreikin; M Pranesh vs Alireza Firouzja; D Gukesh vs Nihal Sarin
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Published on Jul 15, 2026