The prestigious Chennai Grand Masters 2025 chess tournament has been postponed by a day following a late-night electrical fire at the Hyatt Regency, the designated venue.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday night, filled the hotel with smoke and prompted a swift evacuation of all participants.
Players from both the Masters and Challengers sections were relocated to Hotel Pullman between 2 AM and 3 AM, according to Sportstar. Fire officials confirmed that the blaze was contained quickly and posed no major threat, but organisers prioritised safety by rescheduling the tournament’s opening round to Thursday.
Originally slated to run from August 6 to 15, the tournament will now proceed without its designated rest day on August 11. “The safety of players and staff was our top priority,” said Sreeker Channapragada, Co-Founder of MGD1. “We are doing our best to ensure everyone’s safety while conducting the event seamlessly.”
The tournament features 20 elite players and offers a Rs 1 crore prize pool along with valuable FIDE Circuit points, crucial for qualification to the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Among the contenders is Arjun Erigaisi, who aims to redeem himself after narrowly missing out in previous editions.
