Chennai Grand Masters: Alireza Firouzja seals title after final-round draw with Arjun Erigaisi

Chennai: French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja emerged champion of the fourth edition of the Chennai Grand Masters after holding India’s Arjun Erigaisi to a draw in the seventh and final round at The Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel on Wednesday.

Needing only a draw to secure the title, Firouzja comfortably navigated the final-round encounter with the Indian Grandmaster, signing peace after 41 moves to finish on 4.5 points from seven rounds. The 22-year-old remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, registering two victories and five draws.

Firouzja entered the concluding round with a half-point lead over Erigaisi and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The title race effectively tilted in the Frenchman’s favour after Abdusattorov, who needed a victory with the black pieces to stay in contention, suffered a 37-move defeat to Russia’s Dmitry Andreikin.

With his closest challenger out of the running, Firouzja required only a draw against Erigaisi and safely steered the game into a rook-and-pawn endgame before sharing the point to clinch the title. (IANS)

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