Local star D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi played out a draw in the second round of the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Championship 2023 in Chennai on Saturday.
Experienced Indian GM Pentala Harikrishna, who scored over Erigaisi in round one, settled for a draw against Alexandr Predke (Serbia) to take his tally to 1.5 points.
Highly-rated American GM Levon Aronian held top seed Iran GM Parham Maghsoodloo in his second round match, while the match between Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine) and Sanan Sjugirov (Ukraine) saw the latter securing a win.
Gukesh with white pieces, held compatriot Erigaisi to a draw.
The two young Indians are aiming for a good performance in Chennai to boost their chances of securing a spot in next year's Candidates tournament.
The 8-player, all-GM tournament being held in the classical format, provides an opportunity for Gukesh and Erigaisi and Iran's Maghsoodloo to earn qualification for the Candidates tournament.
Round 2 results: Pentala Harikrishna drew Alexandr Predke; D Gukesh drew Arjun Erigaisi: Parham Maghsoodloo drew Levon Aronian; Pavel Eljanov lost to Sanan Sjugirov (Hungary).
Standings after round two: 1-2. Sjugirov, Pentala Harikrishna, 3-6. Predke, Aronian, Gukesh, Eljanov 1 point, 7-8. Maghsoodloo, Erigaisi 0.5.
