The Chennai Grand Masters 2026 returns from July 16 to July 22 at the Westin Chennai Velachery. It will bring together some of the world’s best chess players for the fourth edition of India’s strongest classical chess tournament. With World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju leading the field, the event has added significance as players compete not only for the title and a prize of Rs 75 lakh, but also for valuable FIDE Circuit points, which could be crucial in the race to qualify for the next Candidates Tournament.The tournament features an elite Masters field of eight players, headlined by World Champion Gukesh and second ranked Indian player 2800 Arjun Erigaisi.Joining them are Uzbekistan Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Alireza Firouzja, India’s Nihal Sarin, Russia’s Dmitry Andreikin, American Grandmaster Hans Niemann and Pranesh M, who earned the promotion after winning last year’s Challengers section.
Complete Schedule of Chennai Grandmasters:
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- Arjun Erigaisi
- Alireza Firouzja
- Hans Niemann
- Gukesh Dommaraju
- Nihal Sarin
- Dmitri Andreikin
- Pranesh M
The mix of established stars and rising talents makes this one of the strongest editions of Chennai Grandmasters to date. As confirmed by the organizers to TimesofIndia.com, there will be no Challengers section this year.
Chennai Grand Masters 2026 format explained
The Masters event will be played in a single round-robin format, meaning each of the eight players will face every other participant once. Each result therefore has a direct impact on the final ranking.The games will be played under the classic time control of 90 minutes per player with an increment of 30 seconds from move one.Beyond the Rs 75 lakh prize money, players will also be chasing FIDE Circuit points, which form an important part of the qualification path for the upcoming Candidates Tournament. With many of the world’s grandmasters in action, the Chennai Grandmasters are expected to play a significant role in shaping the international chess calendar this season.