Chennai Grand Masters expands to 20 players, announces largest-ever prize pool

The third edition of the Chennai Grand Masters chess tournament will have an expanded field of 20 players and its biggest-ever prize pool of Rs. 1 crore.

The event, scheduled to be held from August 6 to 15, will now feature 10 players in each category, up from eight in previous editions, stated the organisers in a press release.

Organised by MGD1 and supported by the Tamil Nadu Government and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), the tournament has been rebranded as the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters following a title sponsorship deal with Singapore-based fintech firm Quantbox Research.

The 2024 edition of the Chennai Grand Masters broke new ground, with the Masters boasting an average rating of 2729 and the Challengers featuring female competitors for the first time.

Aravindh Chithambaram emerged as the Masters champion last year, finishing ahead of compatriots Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi. Pranav V clinched the Challengers title to earn a spot in this year’s Masters.