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Arjun Erigaisi continues to lead the Masters section of the Chennai Grand Masters tournament after securing a draw in his fifth-round game against Parham Maghsoodloo. This result leaves Arjun undefeated, maintaining his half-point lead with just two rounds remaining. Saturday’s game saw Maghsoodloo, who lost to Arjun in last year's Chennai tournament, successfully hold off the Indian star. Arjun's position at the top puts him in prime contention for victory, with Levon Aronian emerging as his closest challenger after securing the only decisive result of the round.
Aronian, now in sole second place, defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with the white pieces in a display of precision. Vachier-Lagrave made a few strategic errors, which Aronian capitalised on to clinch the win. The Armenian-born grandmaster, who now represents the United States, has already faced Arjun in this event, holding him to a draw with the black pieces in the second round. With 3½ points, Aronian is just behind Arjun, keeping the race for first place tightly contested as they approach the final rounds.
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Amin Tabatabaei and Aravindh Chithambaram remain in the running with outside chances to claim the title, standing at 3 and 2½ points, respectively. Aravindh, who will have the advantage of the white pieces against Arjun in round 6, has quietly climbed the world rankings to an impressive 29th place, now holding a 2706 Elo rating at age 25.
Despite drawing his round-5 game, Arjun remains above the 2800 Elo rating mark in the live rankings. This milestone is especially notable as he just missed achieving a 2800+ rating in the latest official FIDE rankings, ending October with 2799. Arjun's rapid rise through the ranks has been remarkable, largely fuelled by his performance in open tournaments, as he has yet to receive consistent invitations to elite round-robin events.
Arjun Erigaisi
Analysis by Shahid Ahmed
The last decisive game between Levon Aronian and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave occurred over two years ago. Aronian, the only two-time World Cup winner in history, won that game.
Black made a questionable decision by trading the knight with 16...Nxe2 - it was not like Nxd4 was a huge threat for Black.
There followed 17.Bxe2 Rf7 18.Qd2 Qf8 19.Nb6 Rd8 20.Rad1 h6 21.Be3 Rc7 22.b4
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White improved his position and went on to win the game. Black attempted to generate some counterplay, but it was futile.
The start of the fifth round at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai
Pranav Venkatesh's winning streak came to a pause in round 5 of the Challengers section, as he drew his game against Raunak Sadhwani. Playing with the white pieces, Pranav, affectionately known as Buddy Pranav, was unable to break through Sadhwani's solid defence. Despite this, Pranav remains firmly at the top of the standings, holding a one-point lead over his closest rival, Leon Luke Mendonca, who sits in sole second place.
Round 5 saw only one decisive game in the Challengers section, mirroring the single win recorded in the Masters. Karthikeyan Murali claimed victory against Abhimanyu Puranik with the black pieces, marking his second consecutive win. This result brings Karthikeyan back to an even score, with 2½ points out of 5, placing him in a tie for fourth alongside Pranesh M.
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In the last two rounds, Pranav will face Pranesh with the black pieces and Mendonca with white, in games that could prove pivotal to his prospects of clinching a spot in next year's Masters section. With a strong start and clear determination, Pranav aims to consolidate his lead and secure the promotion.
Karthikeyan Murali
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