Global Chess League: Triveni reach finals after dramatic 9-7 victory over Sg Pipers
Season one winners Triveni Continental Kings secured a narrow 9-7 victory over Alpine Sg Pipers, clinching the last spot in the finals. They will face the PBG Alaskan Knights in the championship on Saturday. Friday marked the final day of matches at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, with two teams advancing to the finals. Despite three matches played, all eyes were on the decisive clash between second-placed Alpine Sg Pipers and Triveni Continental Kings, battling directly for the remaining spot in the finals. The Pipers entered with 18 match points and 81 game points, while Triveni had 15 match points but a higher game point tally of 90. A Triveni win would push them past the Pipers for the final spot. The match’s importance was clear from the start, with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich making the ceremonial first move on the icon board, where Triveni’s Alireza Firouzja faced Sg Pipers’ Magnus Carlsen. The Pipers started strong, securing solid positions on the top two boards, and soon after, Hou Yifan gained the upper hand against Alexandra Kosteniuk. A draw between Radjabov and Rapport on board three kept the tension high. At this point, Sg Pipers seemed on the verge of victory. However, as often happens in rapid chess, momentum shifted in minutes. Triveni’s Valentina Gunina delivered a crucial win against Kateryna Lagno. While Carlsen secured victory on the top board, giving Sg Pipers a temporary lead, Praggnanandhaa blundered in a winning position against Wei Yi, and Hou Yifan let her advantage slip away against Kosteniuk. With the score at 7-6 in favor of Sg Pipers, everything came down to the prodigy board, where Triveni’s Javokhir Sindarov was winning against Daniel Dardha. Despite severe time pressure on both sides, Sindarov held his nerve and secured the win, swinging the match for Triveni 9-7 and sending them to the finals, where they will defend their season one title. The other two matches of the day also brought excitement. The bottom two teams, upGrad Mumba Masters and Ganges Grandmasters, opened the day. Despite their strong squads, both teams struggled this season. Last season’s runners-up, Mumba, managed only three wins in nine matches, while Ganges secured just two. In their final match, Vishy Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters triumphed over Mumba with a commanding 12-4 score, avoiding a last-place finish. For upGrad Mumba Masters, it was a disappointing end to a season that began with high hopes. In the second match, PBG Alaskan Knights, already through to the finals, defeated the American Gambits 14-5. While the top two board games ended in draws, PBG scored with Black on three of the remaining four boards. Though this match had no impact on the standings—PBG was already qualified for the finals, and the Gambits couldn’t improve their fourth-place standing—the players gave their all. PBG’s victory, their eighth in ten matches, further boosted their confidence ahead of the finals. Despite the loss, the Gambits finished fourth, securing a prize. Here follows a closer look at the matches of day nine at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League: upGrad Mumba Masters vs Ganges Grandmaster: Ganges avoid last-place finish Although neither team did well on the scoreboard, their matches were consistently exciting, and this one was no exception. Mumba, playing with the white pieces, had Maxime Vachier-Lagrave take on former World Champion Vishy Anand on the icon board. In a tense and complicated game that lasted 71 moves, the players battled until only the kings remained, agreeing to a draw. A similar result was registered on the superstar board. Mumba’s Arjun Erigaisi played aggressively against Vidit Gujrathi, who once again found himself in time trouble, as he had throughout the tournament. Despite the pressure, Erigaisi couldn’t break through, and the game ended in another draw. Two more draws followed—between Dronavalli Harika and Nurgyul Salimova, and on the prodigy board between Raunak Sadhwani and Volodar Murzin—leaving the score level. However, Ganges Grandmasters seized their chance. Vaishali Rameshbabu secured her first victory of the tournament, defeating Koneru Humpy, while Parham Maghsoodloo triumphed over Peter Svidler, both victories coming in time trouble. These key wins pushed the final score to 12-4 in Ganges’ favor. American Gambits vs PBG Alaskan Knights: PBG gambits finish on a high The second match of the day was between the American Gambits and PBG Alaskan Knights. On the icon board, Anish Giri and Hikaru Nakamura agreed to a draw in a balanced knight endgame. Meanwhile, on the superstar board, the Gambits’ Jan-Krzysztof Duda had the initiative but couldn’t achieve more than a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The story was different on the remaining four boards. PBG’s Shakhriyar Mamedyarov staged a dramatic comeback from a completely lost position against Yu Yangyi. Despite dropping his advantage twice, Mamedyarov somehow managed to secure the win. On the women’s board, Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, keeping the Gambits’ hopes alive in the match. However, with Alina Kashlinskaya and Nihal Sarin pulling off wins on their boards, PBG sealed the match with a 14-5 victory. Though PBG didn’t need this win, it will certainly boost their confidence heading into the finals. With eight victories in ten matches, they are deserved finalists. Despite their defeat, the Gambits finished the tournament in fourth place, securing a prize. Alpine Sg Pipers v Triveni Continental Kings: A spectacular comeback for Triveni Sg Pipers, playing with the Black pieces, had a strong start to the match. On the icon board, Magnus Carlsen applied significant pressure on Alireza Firouzja. By the middlegame, Carlsen secured a strong advantage that only continued to grow. Meanwhile, on board two, Triveni’s superstar Wei Yi was also in trouble. Facing Praggnanandhaa with the white pieces, he defended well until move 21, when he blundered, directly entering a lost position. On board three, Triveni’s Teimour Radjabov held steady against Richard Rapport, with the two agreeing to a draw—the first game to finish. On board four, in a battle between two former Women’s World Champions, Sg Pipers’ Hou Yifan gained the upper hand against
4th FIDE IOCCP: A Journey of Triumph and Transformation
After several intense final matches, the 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners successfully concluded, crowning champions in the Open, Women, and Youth categories. The victors were the United Arab Emirates in the Open section, Mongolia in the Women’s section, and India 1 in the Youth section. Let’s take a closer look at the paths these winners took to secure their titles. OPEN SECTION On the first day of the tournament, the 115 teams were divided into groups according to their time zones, playing in a round-robin format in each section. The top two teams from each group advanced to the quarter-finals. With the Open Section featuring a total of 10 groups in the first stage, the quarter-final and semi-final stages were merged. The qualified teams were divided into two groups of ten, with the winners, the United Arab Emirates and El Salvador 1, advancing to the final. The runner-ups, India 1 and Serbia 1, competed for third place. Group 1 Group 2 In the battle for bronze, Serbia defeated India in a two-round match. Serbia secured a narrow 2.5-1.5 victory in the first round and followed it up with a commanding 3.5-0.5 win in the second. The final between El Salvador and the United Arab Emirates was packed with drama, ending in an Armageddon game. El Salvador won the first round with a sweeping 3.5-0.5 score, leaving them needing only a 2-2 draw to claim the title. However, the UAE responded strongly, winning the second round 2.5-1.5, pushing the match into a two-set play-off with a 3+2 time control. Once again, El Salvador took an early lead with a 3-1 score, but the UAE bounced back with a 2.5-1.5 win, forcing the contest into another blitz play-off. With the second phase of the blitz play-offs ending in a tie, the match culminated in an Armageddon game. Playing with the black pieces, the El Salvador player only needed a draw to secure the victory and held an advantage for most of the game. However, after some poor endgame decisions by El Salvador player, his UAE opponent seized the opportunity and scored a crucial victory securing the title for UAE. Open Finals Round 1 El Salvador 1 3.5-0.5 United Arab Emirates Open Finals Round 2 United Arab Emirates 2.5-1.5 El Salvador 1 Open Play-off Round 1 El Salvador 1 3-1 United Arab Emirates Open Play-off Round 2 United Arab Emirates 2.5-1.5 El Salvador 1 Armageddon United Arab Emirates 1-0 El Salvador 1 WOMEN SECTION In the Women’s section, eight teams advanced to the quarter-finals, where they played double-round matches. The results were as follows: Women Quarter-Finals Round 1 Mongolia 4-0 Latvia El Salvador 4-0 Mexico Romania 3-1 Georgia Serbia 2-2 India 1 Women Quarter-Finals Round 2 Latvia 0-4 Mongolia Mexico 1-3 El Salvador Georgia 0-4 Romania India 1 3.5-0.5 Serbia Apart from the first-round match-up of Serbia and India, the top 4 teams mostly dominated their matches and cruised to the semi-finals. The semi-finals saw the four dominant teams battling for spots in the final. El Salvador swept India 4-0 in the first round, followed by a 2-2 draw, sending them to the finals. Mongolia overcame Romania with a narrow 2.5-1.5 win in the first game, followed by another 2-2 draw to secure their spot in the final. Women Semi-Finals Round 1 El Salvador 4-0 India Romania 1.5-2.5 Mongolia Women Semi-Finals Round 2 India 2-2 El Salvador Mongolia 2-2 Romania In the finals, Mongolia and El Salvador were evenly matched, drawing the first round 2-2. However, Mongolia, the defending champions, dominated the second round with a 3-1 win to retain their title. Romania defeated India in a small final to claim bronze. Women Finals Round 1 Mongolia 1 2-2 El Salvador Women Finals Round 2 El Salvador 1-3 Mongolia YOUTH SECTION The Youth section, featuring players mostly aged 14-18, moved at a fast pace. Eight teams advanced to the quarter-finals, with both Indian teams, Serbia, and Ecuador making it through to the semi-finals. India 1 and India 3 faced off in a thrilling semi-final, with India 3 winning the first round 3-1. India 1 responded with a 3-1 win in the second round, leading to blitz play-offs, where India 1 dominated with scores of 3.5-0.5 and 4-0, advancing to the finals. The Serbia-Ecuador semi-final also came down to blitz play-offs. Ecuador narrowly won the first round 2.5-1.5, but Serbia fought back with a 3-1 win in the second round. After a 2-2 draw in the first blitz play-off, Ecuador crushed Serbia 4-0 in the second one to reach the finals. Youth Semi-Finals Round 1 India 1 1-3 India 3 Serbia 1.5-2.5 Ecuador Youth Semi-Finals Round 2 India 3 1-3 India 1 Ecuador 1-3 Serbia Youth Semi-Finals Play-off Round 1 India 1 3.5-0.5 India 3 Serbia 2-2 Ecuador Youth Semi-Finals Play-off Round 2 India 3 0-4 India 1 Ecuador 4-0 Serbia In the battle for third place, India 3 dominated Serbia, winning both rounds with a perfect score of 4-0. The final between India 1 and Ecuador started with a 2-2 draw in the first round, but India 1 turned in a commanding performance in the second round, clinching the title with a 3.5-0.5 victory. Youth Finals Round 1 India 1 2-2 Ecuador Youth Finals Round 2 Ecuador 0.5-3.5 India 1 The 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners showcased the transformative power of chess, bringing together players from across the globe in a thrilling display of skill, determination, and resilience. The event not only crowned champions from the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, and India 1 in their respective categories but also highlighted the unifying spirit of the game, transcending borders and circumstances. One of the guests on the broadcast, Dainis Mikelsons, a former inmate and participant of the 3rd FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, shared an emotional and personal account when asked about his experience: “I love chess, and I have played it for all my life, and it has helped me during my life in
Global Chess League Day 8: PBG reach finals as Triveni and Pipers set for showdown
With 21 match points and 100 game points, PBG Alaskan Knights secured the top spot in the League, clinching a place in the finals. They defeated the defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, who will now battle Sg Pipers for the second spot in the finals. It was a dramatic day at Friends House in London as teams fought in the penultimate round for a place in the finals. While much was undecided, three teams were already out of contention: upGrad Mumba Masters (last year’s runners-up), Ganges Grandmasters (third in season one), and American Gambits. In the opening match, the Gambits, led by world number two Hikaru Nakamura, defeated Mumba Masters 10-6. Although both teams were out of the running for the finals, this victory gave the Gambits a strong chance to win the League’s fourth-place prize. The first major match of the day saw Alpine Sg Pipers take on Ganges Grandmasters. The Pipers needed to win to edge closer to the finals. Richard Rapport defeated Parham Maghsoodloo, and Magnus Carlsen added another point with what he described as a “crazy game” against Vishy Anand. Off the board, some light drama unfolded when Kateryna Lagno asked Carlsen and Anand to quiet down during their post-game chat, prompting Carlsen to gesture “zipping” his mouth. Lagno then secured a win, followed by Hou Yifan, bringing the score to 13-1. Though Ganges’ Volodar Murzin won the final prodigy game, it was too late to change the outcome. The Pipers ended the day in second place with 18 match points, positioning them well for the finals. In the final match of the day, Triveni Continental Kings faced a difficult challenge against the tournament leaders, PBG Alaskan Knights. Despite being three match points ahead, PBG needed a win to confirm their finals spot, and they delivered. Anish Giri defeated Alireza Firouzja, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov outplayed Wei Yi. Teimour Radjabov won against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov to give Triveni some hope, but losses on the women’s boards sealed their fate. Despite Javokhir Sindarov’s win on the prodigy board, PBG won 12-8, ensuring their place in the finals. Triveni must now face Sg Pipers in a direct showdown for the remaining finals spot. Friday will be the last and decisive day as all teams play their final round before the top two move on to the finals. While PBG Alaskan Knights are already secure, all eyes will be on the clash between Triveni Continental Kings and Sg Pipers, where the winner will claim the second spot in the finals. Here follows a closer look at the games of day eight at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League: American Gambits vs upGrad Mumba Masters: MVLs blunder helps Gambits win the match The first match of the day, between upGrad Mumba Masters and American Gambits, was more about pride than results. With no pressure on the outcome, Mumba—playing as White—started strong, with their players achieving favorable positions on four of the six boards. On the icon board, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave facing Hikaru Nakamura blundered heavily in a slightly inferior position, losing a piece and eventually the game. Despite this setback, the Mumba Masters had promising positions on other boards, but more trouble soon followed. On board two, Vidit was clearly better against Duda, but, as in previous matches, got into time trouble and lost his advantage. In a blitz finish, Duda capitalized, winning on time and pushing his team to an 8-0 lead. Peter Svidler drew with Wei Yi, scoring the first point for Mumba. Unfortunately for them, on both women’s boards, Humpy Koneru and Karika Dronavalli misplayed significantly better positions, leading to draws. Mumba’s only win came on the prodigy board. Jonas Bjerre from American Gambits launched an all-out attack against Raunak Sadhwani, even sacrificing an. However, at the critical point of the game, Bjerre miscalculated avoiding queen exchange instead of trading the most powerful pieces. As a result, all his pieces became trapped, leaving him completely lost. The final score was 11-6 in favor of the American Gambits, bringing them closer to fourth place and a prize. Alpine Sg Pipers vs Ganges Grandmasters: A dominating victory for the Pipers as Carlsen and Anand told off by Lagno The match provided excitement both on and off the board. The first to strike was Sg Pipers’ Richard Rapport, who completely dismantled Parham Maghsoodloo’s position for a commanding win. After the loss, Maghsoodloo appeared stunned, sitting motionless in his chair, staring aimlessly across the venue. Meanwhile, Indian compatriots Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi drew their game, parting with smiles and laughter. But this match was no laughing matter for Sg Pipers, who needed to win. Ganges suffered another setback soon after when Vishy Anand lost to Magnus Carlsen in what the Norwegian described as “a crazy game,” where he was simultaneously pushing a pawn towards promotion and trying to checkmate Anand. With checkmate just one move away, Anand resigned. Carlsen’s victory earned him the Player of the Match award, along with a chess set presented by Stephen Lowe, Director of the British Chess Magazine—the world’s oldest chess journal. What followed was equally notable. As Anand and Carlsen casually discussed the game, while other matches were still ongoing, Magnus’ teammate Kateryna Lagno, playing against Nurgyul Salimova, turned to the former world champions and asked them to be quiet. Carlsen quickly raised his hand in apology and mimed zipping his mouth, while Anand, less affected, continued talking for a few more seconds. Both players eventually left the board to check other games before exiting the arena. By then, Sg Pipers were leading 7-1, with drama building on the remaining three boards. After silencing Carlsen and Anand, Lagno confidently finished her game, extending the Pipers’ lead to 10-1 and securing the match. Hou Yifan followed suit by defeating Vaishali, pushing the score to 13-1. The final game was on the prodigy board, where both sides traded advantages in time trouble. Ultimately, Ganges’ Volodar Murzin emerged victorious, claiming a consolation win for his team. With this decisive victory, Alpine