Dubai, 27th June 2023 – The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League delivered another round of gripping clashes as the Chingari Gulf Titans triumphed over the event leaders, Ganges Grandmasters, by a score of 9:7. In another intense battle, the upGrad Mumba Masters emerged victorious against the Triveni Continental Kings, securing the win on the final two boards.

Despite the defeat, Ganges Grandmasters continue to lead in the Global Chess League, while upGrad Mumba Masters moved one place up and are now third.

Chingari Gulf Titans vs Ganges Grandmasters (9:7)

The Chingari Gulf Titans clashed with the Ganges Grandmasters in their second encounter of the Global Chess League round-robin. In the previous match, the Ganges Grandmasters had played as white and emerged victorious after winning the coin toss. This time, it was their turn to play with the black pieces.

The Ganges Grandmasters entered the match as the slight favourites – they confidently won the first duel with the Titans with 10:4 and have also dominated the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. In contrast, the Titans were struggling and were under pressure to raise through the standings from the bottom of the scoreboard.

Being in the position of pressing hard in chess means avoiding calm or drawish lines. It’s never easy to be in that position but at the highest level of chess, this can be extremely dangerous when facing the very best grandmasters in the world. Still, the Titans had to try.

As both sides pushed hard, complicated positions transpired on each board.

The first break for the Titans came on board five: Polina Shuvalova grabbed the initiative facing Bella Khotenashvilli. In a complicated position, Khotenashvilli made an error in time trouble eventually, lost on time. Soon afterwards two top world heavyweights Richard Rapport and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov drew their game.

In a chaotic battle between Daniil Dubov and Leinier Dominguez, where the evaluation changed severa time, Dubov emerged victorious after time trouble, securing four critical points for the Titans. Nihal Sarin drew with Andrey Esipenko despite having the upper hand for the greater part of the game.

Vishy Anand of Ganges Grandmasters gave his team a respite when he beat icon player and board one Jan-Kryzsztof Duda, but that wasn’t enough for a victory. Despite her efforts, former World Champion Hou Yifan of Ganges Grandmasters could not wear down the resistance of Alexandra Kosteniuk and  the game ended in a draw.

With 9:7, the Titans scored a crucial victory which liftted them from the bottom of the scoreboard. Despite the loss, the Ganges Grandmasters retained their lead in the Global Chess League.

upGrad Mumba Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings (10:4)

In their previous encounter with the Kings, the upGrad Mumba Masters emerged victorious playing with the black pieces, but this time, they played as White. Despite starting the Global Chess League with a win, Mumba Masters have had a challenging journey so far - currently standing on 50%, with two victories, two losses, and one draw.

On the other hand, the Triveni Continental Kings have had a bumping road in the Global Chess League. Composed of exceptional players and guided by the well-known GM Loek van Wely, the team has experienced setbacks. Prior to this match, it was revealed that Nana Dzagnidze had withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons and would not be returning for the rest of the inaugural edition of the Global Chess League. Stepping in to fill her shoes is another formidable player, Sara Khadem – one of the world's top female players.

Both sides were evenly matched for the greatest time in the match. The only one to gain some initiative from the outset was upGrad Mumba Masters’ Harika Dronavalli who was slightly better in her game with Sara Khadem.

As the players were nearing time trouble, things on the boards began to change quickly. Mumba’s Javokhir Sindarov went for a pawn advance on the kingside which proved to be ill-prepared. His opponent - another prodigy - Jonas Buhl Bjerre leapt at the opportunity and soon got into a very strong position. With mutual time trouble looming, both players started to err, exchanging inaccuracies and keeping the game open until the end.

By the time Koneru Humpy agreed on a draw with Kateryna Lagno, her compatriot and Mumba teammate Harika Dronavalli was completely winning against Khadem. In the meantime, team Mumba got another strong pin – as Alexander Grischuk was winning against Triveni’s Yu Yangyi. However, it wasn’t a walk in the park: Triveni’s Yu Yangyi is a great defender and as he was better on time, he soon managed to unsettle Grischuk as the famed Russian player threw away his advantage.

As tension mounted across the boards, team leaders and icon players Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian decided to settle for a draw. Shortly after, Vidit Gurjathi and Wei Yi also agreed to a draw, bringing a sense of calm to the match. Grischuk lost momentum and had to accept a draw against Grandmaster Yu.

The fate of the match hinged on the final two boards: Harika Dronavalli defeated Sara Khadem. In an unfortunate turn for the Kings, Jonas Bjerre misplayed his position, allowing Sindarov to seize the advantage and secure a win.

Continuing their unlucky streak, the Kings suffered another loss as the upGrad Mumba Masters emerged triumphant with a final score of 10:4.

Match results - 27 June 2023

Match 17

Chingari Gulf Titans 9-7 Ganges Grandmasters
Queen of the match–PolinaShuvalova
King of the match–DaniilDubov

Match 18

upGrad Mumba Masters 10-4 Triveni Continental Kings
Queen of the match – HarikaDronavalli
King of the match – JavokhirSindarov

Text: Milan Dinic

Photos: Global Chess League

For more match pictures, please click here 

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About Tech Mahindra Global Chess League:

The Global Chess League is the world's first and largest official franchise league of its kind, with chess players from all over the world competing in a unique joint team format. It is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group, and FIDE. The league will feature male and female chess champions competing in the same team. Playing on the popular Rapid format, the league's joint male-female teams will have the rare distinction of being a unique multiplayer team in the world of professional sports. In addition, the League will be the first ever Live televised chess event of its kind that will help offer fans a unique viewing experience. Tech Mahindra and FIDE will explore innovative ways to promote the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms by leveraging next-generation technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others.

For more information on Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, please visit: globalchessleague.com/

Contact:

Abhilasha Gupta, Global Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

Email: Abhilasha.Gupta@TechMahindra.com; media.relations@techmahindra.com