Chennai Grand Masters 2025 postponed by a day after fire at venue

The Chennai Grand Masters 2025 chess tournament has been postponed by a day following a fire at the venue.

According to reports, the incident took place at the Hotel Hyatt Regency on Tuesday night. An electric fire made the entire hotel smoky, and everyone had to evacuate the hotel before it became difficult to breathe.

The players in both the Masters and Challengers categories were shifted to Hotel Pullman between 2 AM and 3 AM, Sportstar can confirm.

“It wasn’t a major issue. Nothing alarming happened. The staff of the hotel put out the fire even before we reached,” said a fire service officer in Chennai.

The tournament, featuring 20 players from across the categories, was set to begin on Wednesday and run till August 15 in a single round-robin format.

The postponed Round 1 will be played on Thursday with the rest day on August 11 being scrapped.

Apart from a prize pool of Rs 1 crore, the tournament will also provide crucial FIDE Circuit points, which will be vital for securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.