Vincent Keymer clinches Chennai Grand Masters title with a round to spare

Vincent Keymer won the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters chess title with a round to spare, becoming the first sole champion. His performance also elevated him into the world’s top 10 rankings

Hyderabad: Vincent Keymer completed a landmark triumph at the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters chess championship, winning the title with a round to spare and becoming the first sole champion in the tournament’s history.

The 20-year-old German, playing white, drew his match against Dutchman Jorden van Foreest, while results elsewhere confirmed his tournament victory.

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Keymer’s dominance over a star-studded field also catapulted him into the world’s top 10 on the live rating list, underlining his arrival among the game’s elite.

“Winning the tournament and breaking into the top 10 at the same time is fantastic for me and truly special. However, the  tournament will continue tomorrow. That is why I prefer to remain focused and keep the tension for the last round. Winning the tournament is a fantastic achievement, but I also really want to stay in the top 10, meaning either drawing or winning tomorrow’s game,” Keymer said.

Elsewhere in the Masters, all five games ended in draws — a rare full split that keeps the race for second and third wide open heading into the final round.

In the Challengers, GM Pranesh M tightened his grip on the leaderboard with a crucial win over GM Harika Dronavalli, taking a half-point lead (6.5) into the final day.