Jorden van Foreest wins, Keymer leads @ Quantbox Chennai GM

GM Jorden van Foreest beat GM Ray Robson for his first win, while GM Vincent Keymer maintained his lead with 4.0 points after the fifth round of the Rupees 10,000,000 (approx USD 114133) prize money Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2025 at Hotel Hyatt Regency Chennai. GM Erigaisi Arjun with 3.0 points stood a point behind the leader. Sharing the third spot with 2.5 points were GMs Anish Giri, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Karthikeyan Murali and Awonder Liang.

In the Challengers section, GM Abhimanyu Puranik led with 4.0 points followed by GMs Pranesh M, Diptayan Ghosh and Mendonca Leon Luke at 3.5 points. The Chennai Grand Masters 2025 is sponsored by Quantbox, organised by MGD1 and supported by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

After two losses in a row, Dutch No. 2 Jorden van Foreest defeated American Ray Robson in a marathon game that lasted several hours and 82 moves. An exchange sacrifice in Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation game by Robson 27…Rxg3 steered the game in complications. At half way stage, Jorden’s rook and three pawns looked a little inadequate to put it across Robson’s knight and four pawns. The pendulum kept swinging either way before the Dutch Grandmaster stepped it up and finally the material imbalance did the American in.

On an otherwise peaceful day, rest of the games Karthikeyan – Giri, Vidit – Keymer, Erigaisi – Pranav, Liang – Nihal ended in draws. The second half of the tournament should give more fighting games for the paying public with the title, FIDE Circuit points and handsome prize money in line.

The Challengers section, saw two games viz., Vaishali – Harshavardhan, Harika – Puranik ending favorably for black. Top seed Abhimanyu Puranik would be looking to increase his not so big one point lead with four rounds to go. And, a fourth defeat in five games for Harika will increase the pressure on the three time world championship bronze medalist to turn it around. International Master Harshavardhan G B delivered his first win scoring over GM Vaishali where white kept pressed way too hard before cracking.

The 6th round starts by Tuesday, 12th August at 5:30 AM ET/11:30 CEST/3 PM IST.

Round 6 pairings (Masters): Karthikeyan Murali – Robson, Nihal – van Foreest, Pranav – Liang, Keymer – Erigaisi, Giri – Vidit

Round 6 pairings (Challengers): Harshavardhan – Iniyan, Adhiban – Ghosh, Mendonca – Chopra, Puranik – Pranesh, Vaishali – Harika

Round 5 results (Masters): Karthikeyan Murali (2.5) drew with Anish Giri (2.5), Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2.5) drew with Vincent Keymer (4.0), Erigaisi Arjun (3.0) drew with Pranav Venkatesh (2.0), Awonder Liang (2.5) drew with Nihal Sarin (2.0), Jorden van Foreest (2.0) beat Ray Robson (2.0)

Round 5 results (Challengers): Vaishali Rameshbabu (1.0) lost to Harshavardhan G B (1.5), Dronavalli Harika (0.5) lost to Abhimanyu Puranik (4.5), Pranesh M (3.5) drew with Leon Luke Mendonca (3.5), Aryan Chopra (1.5) drew with Adhiban Baskaran (2.5), Diptayan Ghosh (3.5) drew with Iniyan Pa (3.0)

Jorden van Foreest (2697) – Robson Ray (2687) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 h6 7. Bf4 Bf5 8. Nf3 c6 9. h3 Nbd7 10. g4 Bh7 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Bb4 13. Nd2 Qe7 14. a3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 g5 16. Bg3 h5 17. Ke2 Ne4 18. Nxe4 dxe4 19. Qb1 Qe6 20. gxh5 b6 21. Qa2 Qxa2+ 22. Rxa2 Rxh5 23. a4 Ke7 24. a5 Rah8 25. axb6 axb6 26. Ra7 Rxh3 27. Rb1 Rxg3 28. fxg3 Rh2+ 29. Kd1 b5 30. d5 Rh1+ 31. Kc2 Rh2+ 32. Kb3 cxd5 33. Rba1 Rh6 34. Kb4 Rc6 35. R1a6 Rc4+ 36. Kb3 Ra4 37. Rxa4 bxa4+ 38. Kxa4 f5 39. Kb5 Kd6 40. Ra6+ Ke5 41. Rg6 g4 42. Kc6 Nf6 43. Kc7 Ke6 44. Rg5 Ke5 45. Kc8 Ke6 46. Kd8 Nh7 47. Rh5 Nf6 48. Rh1 Kd6 49. Rh2 Ke6 50. Rh6 Kf7 51. Kc7 Ke7 52. Kb6 Ke6 53. Rg6 Kf7 54. Rg5 Ke6 55. Kc5 Ke5 56. Kc6 Ke6 57. Rg6 Kf7 58. Rh6 Ke6 59. Rh1 Ke5 60. Rh8 Ke6 61. Kc5 Ke5 62. Rd8 Nh5 63. Re8+ Kf6 64. Kxd5 Nxg3 65. Rf8+ Kg7 66. Rb8 Ne2 67. Rb2 Nc1 68. c4 Nd3 69. Rb6 g3 70. c5 g2 71. Rb1 Kf6 72. Rg1 Nb4+ 73. Kd6 f4 74. Rxg2 fxe3 75. Rb2 Na6 76. c6 Kf5 77. Ra2 e2 78. Rxe2 Kf4 79. Rf2+ Kg4 80. Ra2 Nb4 81. c7 Nxa2

82. c8=Q+ 1-0

Dronavalli Harika (2487) – Puranik Abhimanyu (2635) 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 g6 5. b3 Bg7 6. Bb2 O-O 7. O-O e6 8. Nc3 Qe7 9. e3 Na6 10. Qe2 d5 11. d4 c5 12. Rfd1 Rfd8 13. Rac1 dxc4 14. bxc4 Rac8 15. Nb5 Be4 16. Ne5 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Ne4 18. h4 Nd6 19. Qf3 Bxe5 20. dxe5 Nxb5 21. cxb5 Nb4 22. e4 Nxa2 23. Ra1 Nb4 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Bc1 Rd7 26. Bg5 Qf8 27. Rd1 Nc2 28. Bf6 Rxd1 29. Qxd1 Nd4 30. Qa4 Qa8 31. f3 Qb7 32. Qc4 h6 33. h5 Qd7 34. Qa4 Qxb5 35. Qxa7 Qe2+ 36. Kh3 Qf1+ 37. Kg4 Qxf3+ 38. Kh3 Qh1+ 39. Kg4

39…gxh5+ 0-1

Photo courtesy: MGD1

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