Chennai Grand Masters organizers announced that American GM Hans Moke Niemann will participate in the 2026 Masters tournament. The event will take place from July 16 to 22 in Chennai, India. Niemann participates in the event for the first time.

The number of players at CGM 2026 has been reduced from 10 to 8. Gukesh Dommaraju, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi are announced as invited participants. 19-year-old GM Pranesh M will play in the Masters group as the 2025 Challengers winner. The remaining three players will be announced later this summer.

The Chennai Grand Masters is an annual, invitation-only, Classical tournament held in Chennai, India since 2023. Trading firm Quantbox is the main sponsor of the event. Hans Moke Niemann was invited to the 2024 event. The invitation was rescinded by the organizers two months before the tournament start, without an official explanation.

Credit: Lennart Ootes