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SportsChennai Grand Masters: Arjun Erigaisi stages comeback to beat world champion Gukesh, shares lead
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In the fifth round of the Chennai Grand Masters chess tournament, Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi staged a remarkable comeback from a losing position to defeat world champion D. Gukesh. The victory lifted Arjun to 3.5 points, tying for the lead with French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja, who drew with Dmitry Andreikin. Gukesh's loss left him at the bottom of the standings with 1.5 points. Meanwhile, Nodirbek Abdusattorov broke his streak of four draws by defeating Indian GM Nihal Sarin, moving to 3 points. The tournament's sixth round will feature a key match between Firouzja and Abdusattorov, while Arjun faces Nihal in the penultimate round. The game between M. Pranesh and Hans Niemann ended in a 104-move draw.
Source report
The top-ranked Indian player gets the better of World champion Gukesh
Published - July 20, 2026 08:43 pm IST By C. Shyam Sundar
Arjun Erigaisi demonstrated the hallmark of a champion — the ability to fight back from adversity — as he pulled off a stunning turnaround to defeat World champion D. Gukesh in the fifth round of the Chennai Grand Masters at The Westin Chennai on Monday.
The win lifted the top-ranked Indian player to 3.5 points, placing him in a tie for the lead with Alireza Firouzja. The Frenchman was held to a draw by Russian Dmitry Andreikin in a 41-move game.
In his match against Gukesh, Arjun was in a losing position but managed a remarkable escape, capitalising on mistakes by his opponent on the 30th and 54th moves, as well as Gukesh's rejection of a draw offer.
The defeat left Gukesh at the bottom of the standings with 1.5 points after five rounds.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the highest-rated player in the event, broke his streak of four consecutive draws by defeating Indian GM Nihal Sarin with black pieces in 38 moves. He trails the joint leaders by half a point.
His sixth-round encounter against Firouzja on Tuesday could prove decisive in the title race. Arjun and Nihal are scheduled to meet in another match in the penultimate round.
The game between M. Pranesh, the lowest-rated player in the field (Elo 2666), and American Hans Niemann ended in a 104-move draw.
Results: Fifth Round
- M. Pranesh 2 drew with Hans Niemann (USA) 2
- D. Gukesh 1.5 lost to Arjun Erigaisi 3.5
- Nihal Sarin 2 lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 3
- Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 3.5 drew with Dmitry Andreikin (Rus) 2.5
Source
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Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament Sees Firouzja and Erigaisi Lead