Global Chess League, Day 7: Mumba Masters stop PBG, Triveni and Sg Pipers close in
UpGrad Mumba Masters defeated tournament leaders PBG Alaskan Knights, denying them direct qualification to the finals. Meanwhile, Triveni Continental Kings and Alpine Sg Pipers moved closer to securing their spots at the top In a surprising turn of events at the start of the day, upGrad Mumba Masters delivered a shocking defeat to tournament leaders PBG Alaskan Knights 10-9, disrupting their path to direct qualification for the finals. The team of upGrad Mumba Masters got better positions early on, but it was the PBG Alaskan Knights who took the lead first: after a draw between Dronavalli and Kashlinskaya, Mumba’s Vidit Gujrathi lost on time against Abdusattorov and Peter Svidler fell to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. But Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s critical win over Anish Giri on the icon board kept Mumba in the match. It came down to the final two boards, where Mumba’s Humpy Koneru and Raunak Sadhwani converted their advantage under time pressure, sealing the upset. As Sarin resigned, the crowd at Friends House applauded Mumba’s resilience. With this victory, Mumba remain in contention for the finals, while PBG must wait for another opportunity to qualify. “It feels great. I’m glad I could help the team. We had nothing to lose, wanting to play a good match, and it worked,” Mumba’s prodigy player Raunak Sadhwani said after the match. In another duel between the leaders and those struggling at the bottom – season one winners Triveni Continental Kings were playing against Ganges Grandmasters. Triveni scored a crucial victory 12-9, tightening their grip on a spot in the finals. At the start of the match, things were looking great for Ganges: Anand came out of the opening much better in his game against Firouzja, while his teammates achieved promising positions on other boards. However, as the match progressed – things went south: Anand blundered and lost, Maghsoodloo spoiled a completely winning position against Radjabov, and Vaishali also misplayed against Kosteniuk – handing critical victories to Triveni to bag the match. With this defeat, Ganges Grandmasters, led by former World Champion Vishy Anand, are out of the race for the finals. The games continue on Thursday, 10th October, with two more rounds left before the knockout finals. Here follows a closer look at the matches on day eight of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League: upGrad Mumba Masters vs PBG Alaskan Knights: PBG miss first chance to reach the finals The seventh day of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League saw PBG, playing as Black, face Mumba Masters, who had won only two out of seven matches so far. With three rounds left, PBG had the opportunity to secure their place in the finals. For Mumba, this was a must-win match to keep their finals hopes alive. The opening game between the two teams ended in a narrow 8-5 victory for PBG, with just one decisive result: PBG’s Nihal Sarin pulled off a crucial win against Raunak Sadhwani on the prodigy board. Early on in the match, Mumba gained the upper hand. Sadhwani obtained a strong position against Sarin, and Humpy Koneru was better against former Women’s World Champion, Tan Zhongyi. However, on the superstar board, Vidit Gujrathi was struggling with time against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, echoing their earlier encounter. Meanwhile, PBG’s icon player Anish Giri could only manage to equalize against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, which, considering Giri was Black, would normally be a favorable result. The first game to conclude was a draw on the women’s board, where Harika Dronavalli and Alina Kashlinskaya, both top scorers, neutralized each other. Needing to rally quickly, PBG instead found themselves in trouble. A highly unusual position developed on the icon board: despite Black having two pawn-runners on the queenside, the engine showed White had the advantage—provided Vachier-Lagrave could push his pawns. In time trouble, the Frenchman – who also holds a degree in mathematics – calculated flawlessly, seizing a decisive advantage. However, Mumba suffered a setback when Vidit lost on time, giving PBG a lead of 4-2. Still, Mumba was in control on three of the remaining four boards. Vachier-Lagrave’s victory over Giri closed the gap to 5-4. But then Mumba’s Peter Svidler fell against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in time trouble, pushing PBG ahead to 9-4. It all came down to the final two boards, where Mumba was dominating. Despite the time pressure, both Koneru and Sadhwani played precisely, securing a 10-9 victory for Mumba. Ganges Grandmasters vs Triveni Continental Kings: A great start but a terrible finish for Ganges The Ganges Grandmasters started the match confidently with the white pieces. Vishy Anand gained an early advantage over Alireza Firouzja right after the opening, while Parham Maghsoodloo and Nurgyul Salimova also secured strong positions in their games. Vaishali R joined in, getting an edge against former World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. However, disaster struck when Anand hesitated in his promising position, eventually blundering and handing the lead to Triveni. Despite this setback, the Ganges team still held favorable positions on most boards. Arjun Erigaisi secured a much-needed victory on board two, defeating Wei Yi — his first win after seven consecutive draws. But then more bad news followed for Ganges: Vaishali lost a better position to Kosteniuk, and Maghsoodloo botched up a completely winning position against Teimour Radjabov on board three, ultimately giving the match to Triveni. Despite late wins from Salimova against Gunina and Murzin against Sindarov, Ganges lost the match 12-9, dashing their hopes of reaching the finals. American Gambits vs Alpine Sg Pipers: Praggnanandhaa secures crucial win for the Pipers In their previous encounter, the Pipers narrowly won 9-7 playing as White. This time, with the Gambits having the first-move advantage, they pressed hard on all boards. The Gambits got off to a good start, with Elisabeth Paehtz securing a significantly better position against Kateryna Lagno. Shortly after, teammate Bibisara Assaubayeva gained an advantage over Hou Yifan. On board three, however, the Pipers caught a break when Yu Yangyi accepted a draw from Richard Rapport, despite being in a better position—a risky decision that proved to
4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners: Day 1 recap
The FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners is back with its fourth edition, and this year is the largest event yet, with over 115 teams from 51 countries competing. This championship which brings together inmates from around the world over chessboards is an integral part of FIDE’s mission to demonstrate the power of chess in transforming lives, especially within correctional facilities. The Championship is part of the Chess for Freedom initiative, a joint program by FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, USA), launched in May 2021. The inaugural event that year coincided with the International Day of Education in Prisons (October 13) and saw 32 teams from 31 countries participate. Since then, the event has grown significantly, and this year’s edition promises even more exciting competition. Day 1 saw the group stage, which comprised 10 groups in the open section, three in the women and three in the youth. Each group played in a round-robin format, with the teams paired according to time zones. Therefore, the day was split into three segments: Asia, Europe and, Africa, and the Americas. Each segment started with opening speeches by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board Dana Reizniece-Ozola, and FIDE Social Commission chair and the Swiss Chess Federation President Andre Vogtlin. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich ushered in the start of the tournament and expressed his personal sentiment about the event and the Chess for Freedom Programme: “Over the years, I have heard many stories from those who have taken part in the event about how chess helped to improve their critical thinking, emotional well-being, and enhance their social skills, something which is important for their future life, helping them to find a better place in the world.” Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board Dana Reizniece-Ozola shared a wonderful idiom to describe the start of the championships: “From Latvia, another autumn, another Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners is on. We here in Latvia say that autumn is the time when you reap the harvest, reap the fruits of the whole year. So I believe that this is the same with the Intercontinental Championship because all year round, I believe many already, since the last tournament finished, have been working hard, training, preparing for this very day, for this very competition, to show the best, to show the team spirit, to show the fighting abilities, to show the fair play, to show the ability to represent your institution, your country in this worldwide event. Let’s have a lot of fun, let’s have a lot of chess, let’s enjoy and let the strongest and the most motivated win.” Finally, FIDE Social Commission chair and the Swiss Chess Federation President, Andre Vogtlin, shared his sentiments all the way from the border between Switzerland and Italy at a height of 2500m! He used the open Schengen border as a metaphor for the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners “beyond countries, beyond continents.” Adding to this, he noted the exciting news of FIDE’s Social Chess Year 2025, adding: “We will have not only prisons but refugee camps, slums, clinics with addicts, with Autism Spectrum Disorder and much more social groups playing and celebrating this huge chess tool, social tool, who has unique benefits for all of us and I would like to invite you to join this event, this movement and to be in contact with my team who will also be inviting you to all these events.” The broadcast was accompanied by various videos, including a preview of this special Year of Social Chess, which can be watched on YouTube. The first day set a positive and hopeful tone, celebrating chess’s ability to change lives. The competition was fierce, with many games seeing dramatic swings, as engine evaluations fluctuated wildly until the final result was secured. While some groups were dominated by certain teams, others saw tight, unpredictable battles. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, which will be held tomorrow, September 10. Let’s take a look at the standings: Open Group 1 Open Group 2 Open Group 3 Open Group 4 Open Group 5 Open Group 6 Open Group 7 Open Group 8 Open Group 9 Open Group 10 Women’s Group 1 Women’s Group 2 Women’s Group 3 Youth Group 1 Youth Group 2 Youth Group 3 During the broadcast, the commentators spoke with David Acheampong, founder of Mentors Chess Academy in Accra, Ghana, who was live from the prison where his Youth team was competing. Acheampong shared the players’ excitement after securing their spot in the semi-finals and their determination to prepare for the next day’s matches. Last year, India took first place in the Male and Youth groups, while Mongolia claimed victory in the Female group. Both countries are well-positioned for another strong showing this year, but with the tournament’s expansion, the competition remains wide open. With teams fighting for glory and personal pride, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. The chessboard will decide who rises to the top, but every player has already won in their own way.