Chennai, India – The Chennai Grand Masters 2025 chess tournament has been postponed by a day following an electrical fire at its venue, the Hotel Hyatt Regency, on Tuesday night. The incident, which filled the hotel with smoke and prompted a full evacuation, has caused a last-minute scramble for organizers and players alike.
Players Relocated After Minor Incident
According to reports, the fire was an electrical issue that was quickly contained. “It wasn’t a major issue. Nothing alarming happened. The hotel staff had already put out the fire before we arrived,” a Chennai fire department official told Sportstar.
Despite the fire being minor, all players from both the Masters and Challengers sections, totaling 20 participants, were safely relocated to Hotel Pullman between 2 AM and 3 AM.
Tournament Schedule Adjusted
The tournament, which features a single round-robin format, was originally slated to begin on Wednesday. With the venue disruption, Round 1 is now rescheduled for Thursday. To accommodate the delay and maintain the tournament’s overall length, the designated rest day on August 11 has been scrapped.
The Chennai Grand Masters 2025 is a significant event on the chess calendar, boasting a substantial prize pool of ₹1 crore. More importantly, it offers valuable FIDE Circuit points, which are crucial for players aiming to qualify for the prestigious 2026 Candidates Tournament. Players and organizers will now be hoping for a smooth start on Thursday as the battle for these critical points gets underway.
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