New Delhi, Aug 6: The Chennai Grand Masters 2025, India's premier classical chess tournament, has been postponed by a day after a fire incident at the Hyatt Regency Chennai on Tuesday night, the organisers said on Wednesday.

The third edition of Chennai Grandmasters was initially scheduled to kick off on August 6, with a marquee opening round clash between World No. 5 Arjun Erigaisi and American prodigy Awonder Liang. But a fire at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where the competition was due to take place, forced the event to be postponed until Thursday.

"Due to an unforeseen electrical fire incident at the hotel, the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters has been postponed by a day. We’re relieved to share that everyone is Safe and no injuries have occurred," the organisers said in a statement shared on X.

After the fire incident, all players in both the Masters and Challengers sections, along with coaches and officials, were quickly evacuated and moved to another hotel.

"Fire at Hotel Hyatt Regency last night, the venue of the Chennai GM. All the players are safe and shifted to another hotel nearby. Tournament postponed by a day,” Indian GM and tournament director Srinath Narayanan shared on his X handle.

According to ChessBase report, close to midnight there was an emergency in Hotel Hyatt Regency in Chennai. Due to an electric fire on the 9th floor, the entire hotel became smoky and everyone had to evacuate the hotel before it became difficult to breathe.

All the players and officials were given a room in Hotel Pullman for the night and they were expected to return to the tournament venue on Thursday morning.

The nine-round, ten-day event, featuring 19 top GMs and an International Master (IM) from India and around the world, will run until August 15, offering a total prize pool of Rs 1 crore and valuable FIDE circuit points.

In its third edition, the tournament is split into two elite round-robin sections, Masters and Challengers, each comprising 10 players.

This year’s Masters field includes a powerful mix of global and Indian talent. Alongside Erigaisi and Liang, the opening round will see top-seeded Dutch GM Anish Giri face American GM Ray Robson, while Vidit Gujrathi, Vincent Keymer, Nihal Sarin, and others are all set for high-stakes matchups.

The Challengers section features a highly competitive lineup of experienced Grandmasters and emerging Indian talent. Round 1 will see Indian stars clash in some exciting matchups.

The section winner will take home Rs 7 lakh and secure a direct berth in the 2026 Masters, reinforcing the tournament’s commitment to nurturing India’s next generation of Grandmasters.

(IANS)

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