The Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament, scheduled to get underway on Wednesday (August 6), has been postponed by a day due to an unexpected fire incident at the venue, Hyatt Regency Chennai.

The players have been relocated to an alternative accommodation and are safe.

The third  edition of Chennai Grand Masters, which will begin from August 7, is India’s most prestigious classical chess tournament. It will feature 20 players from across the Masters and Challengers categories.

The latest edition will have a ₹1 crore prize pool as competitors chase FIDE Circuit points, which are vital for qualifying for next year’s Candidates Tournament.

Organised by MGD1 and sponsored by Quantbox, the tournament will be split into two categories: Masters and Challengers.

Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Anish Giri, Karthikeyan Murali, Jorden Van Foreest, Liang Awonder, Vincent Keymer, Ray Robson, and Pranav V will be part of the Masters event.

The Challengers category, introduced last year, will feature Karthikeyan Murali, Leon Mendonca, Vaishali R, Harika Dronavalli, Abhimanyu Puranik, Aryan Chopra, Adhiban Baskaran, Iniyan P, Diptayan Ghosh, and Pranesh M.

The Masters champion will take home Rs 25 lakh, while the second and third place player will get richer by Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh , respectively.

The Challengers’ winner will receive Rs 7 lakh and a guaranteed place in the 2026 Masters. The tournament also carries FIDE Circuit points, with the winner earning 24.5 points towards the 2026 Candidates qualification.

In the case of joint winners, each will receive 22.3 points, while second and third place finishers will earn 17.8 and 15.6 points, respectively.