Chennai Grand Masters 15 - 21 December 2023

[Mick Norris]

Parham Maghsoodloo (2742)
Arjun Erigaisi (2727)
Levon Aronian (2723)
D. Gukesh (2720)
Sanan Sjugirov (2703)
Pentala Harikrishna (2696)
Pavel Eljanov (2691)
Alexandr Predke (2689)
Rating average of the event: 2711 Elo

info

To reach the top of the leaderboard in FIDE Circuit, Arjun needs to win outright. He would then surpass Anish Giri by a whisker.

Gukesh needs to do one of:

a) Win outright or finish tied 1st-2nd with any tie-breaks

b) Tie 1st -3rd but be top in top 2 by tie-breaks

c) Tie with up to 5 players but be top on tie breaks

Currently Wesley So has the highest rating with 2757.4. Dominguez is playing at the Sunway Sitges starting shortly. Parham Maghsoodloo has an outside chance if he manages to 14.2 Elo points from the event. Not at all easy, but not impossible.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Anyone else suprised that this is:

the first time ever that a Classical Super Tournament (2700+ Elo average) is happening in the country [India]

I mean, there was the 2022 Olympiad, but even so? Makes me realise how lucky we are to have had (and still have) the London Chess Classic and other events in London over the years (I am not sure there has been a super-GM event outside London in the UK, but may be wrong).

It is also interesting that they tried to make it even stronger (that is the impression I get from: "We invited several of the top players in the world for this event. Some of them couldn't make it because of their schedule...").

One of the organisers (GM Srinath Narayanan) said this:

We have close to 10 top players in India right now, apart from several top talents waiting in the wings. In a tournament abroad, at best, 1 or 2 players from India would get an opportunity. Having an invitational like this fills that gap to provide that much needed opportunity. We have 3 players out of 8 in this event, which is a humble beginning. Speaking of opportunities, a similar moment happened when Tamilnadu government stepped in to organise the 44th chess Olympiad. This gave opportunity to D.Gukesh who was part of the 2nd team to play in the tournament, and score an astounding 8/8. India could field a second team and Gukesh could play in the Olympiad only because India was the host. With the kind of talent base that we have, creating opportunities is the variable that will help take our present talents further towards the top. In that sense, I hope this is just the first step in a thousand mile journey, and an eco system of such high level tournaments sprout up in India.

Can't find a website for it yet, but there is still a day or two before it starts.

[Mick Norris]

Giri an his wife are doing live commentary, which might be interesting

[IM Jack Rudd]

Depends what you mean by a super-GM tournament, I think. Certainly Hastings 1895 and Nottingham 1936 would have been the equivalents in their day.

[Mick Norris]

pairings and results

1 1 2723 GM Aronian, Levon ½ - ½ GM Gukesh, D 2720 8
2 2 2742 GM Maghsoodloo, Parham 0 - 1 GM Eljanov, Pavel 2691 7
3 3 2703 GM Sjugirov, Sanan ½ - ½ GM Predke, Alexandr 2689 6
4 4 2696 GM Harikrishna, Pentala 1 - 0 GM Erigaisi, Arjun 2727 5

[Christopher Kreuzer]

This tournament's round times are 3pm local time, which is 5-1/2 hours ahead of GMT (i.e. 09:30 GMT start time). I had forgotten that India is one of the places with a half-hour time zone.

[Kevin Thurlow]

" I had forgotten that India is one of the places with a half-hour time zone."

A neat trick if you have access to a traditional watch (not digital) is to turn it upside down - it will then show the time in India (unless you're in India and it will then show the time here...)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Fairly cagey chess if the results are to be taken at face value (apologies if the draws feature lots of fighting chess!).

After three rounds and 12 games, there have been 4 decisive results and 8 draws.

Sjugirov and Harikrishna lead on 2/3.

Gukesh and Aronian have started with three straight draws.

With four rounds to go, there is still time for anyone to go on a winning streak, but the back markers need to make a move soon.

[LawrenceCooper]

Fairly cagey chess if the results are to be taken at face value (apologies if the draws feature lots of fighting chess!).

After three rounds and 12 games, there have been 4 decisive results and 8 draws.

Sjugirov and Harikrishna lead on 2/3.

Gukesh and Aronian have started with three straight draws.

With four rounds to go, there is still time for anyone to go on a winning streak, but the back markers need to make a move soon.

There's been plenty of fighting chess but it's proving tough for the players looking to boost their FIDE Circuit points and/or rating.

[LawrenceCooper]

Wins for Gukesh & Parham in round 4 against Predke & Sjugirov.

[LawrenceCooper]

Gukesh wins again to take the lead on 3.5/5.

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 5 on 2023/12/19 at 1500 h
Bo. No. Rtg Name Result Name Rtg No.
1 3 2703 GM Sjugirov, Sanan 0 - 1 GM Gukesh, D 2720 8
2 4 2696 GM Harikrishna, Pentala ½ - ½ GM Maghsoodloo, Parham 2742 2
3 5 2727 GM Erigaisi, Arjun ½ - ½ GM Aronian, Levon 2723 1
4 6 2689 GM Predke, Alexandr 0 - 1 GM Eljanov, Pavel 2691 7

Gukesh 3.5/5
Eljanov & Harikrishna 3
Aronian, Erigaisi, Maghsadloo 2.5
Sjugirov 2
Predke 1

Remaining pairings:

Round 6 on 2023/12/20 at 1500 h
Bo. No. Rtg Name Result Name Rtg No.
1 8 2720 GM Gukesh, D GM Eljanov, Pavel 2691 7
2 1 2723 GM Aronian, Levon GM Predke, Alexandr 2689 6
3 2 2742 GM Maghsoodloo, Parham GM Erigaisi, Arjun 2727 5
4 3 2703 GM Sjugirov, Sanan GM Harikrishna, Pentala 2696 4
Round 7 on 2023/12/21 at 1330 h
Bo. No. Rtg Name Result Name Rtg No.
1 4 2696 GM Harikrishna, Pentala GM Gukesh, D 2720 8
2 5 2727 GM Erigaisi, Arjun GM Sjugirov, Sanan 2703 3
3 6 2689 GM Predke, Alexandr GM Maghsoodloo, Parham 2742 2
4 7 2691 GM Eljanov, Pavel GM Aronian, Levon 2723 1

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Interesting. Gukesh playing the two below him in the final two rounds. Does he hold them off with draws and hope no-one catches him? Or does Gukesh need to win outright (like at the London Chess Classic)?

[Mick Norris]

Interesting. Gukesh playing the two below him in the final two rounds. Does he hold them off with draws and hope no-one catches him? Or does Gukesh need to win outright (like at the London Chess Classic)?

Upthread

Gukesh needs to do one of:

a) Win outright or finish tied 1st-2nd with any tie-breaks

b) Tie 1st -3rd but be top in top 2 by tie-breaks

c) Tie with up to 5 players but be top on tie breaks

2 draws should be enough I suspect

[LawrenceCooper]

Gukesh-Eljanov was an uneventful draw.