Day 4 brought clarity to the standings as both upGrad Mumba Masters and Triveni Continental Kings bounced back with emphatic victories to create a two-point gap at the top. The Mumba Masters delivered the tournament’s most dominant performance yet, crushing PBG Alaskan Knights 18-2, while the defending champions defeated Ganges Grandmasters 11-6 behind Alireza Firouzja’s relentless brilliance. Day 5 features the eagerly-awaited clash between the joint leaders, while the chasing pack desperately seeks to close the gap.
Match 13: upGrad Mumba Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings (17:00 IST)
The day’s marquee encounter pits the tournament’s two dominant forces against each other in what could define the race for the finals. Both teams sit on nine match points after four rounds, and this clash will likely determine who emerges as the favorite heading into the second half of the league stage.
Key Matchups:
Icon Board: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave faces Alireza Firouzja in the battle of tournament icons. MVL has been exceptional, defeating both Anand and Caruana while only losing to Nakamura, but Firouzja has been unstoppable—winning all four of his games against world numbers two, three, 15, and 18. The Frenchman has defeated Caruana, Gukesh, Nakamura, and Anand in successive matches with brilliant attacking chess. This is the clash everyone has been waiting for, featuring two players in devastating form.
Men’s Boards: Wesley So and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov for the Masters versus Wei Yi and Vidit Gujrathi. Wei Yi has been rock-solid for the Kings, delivering consistent performances, but Vidit suffered a nightmare on Day 4, missing mate-in-two and losing to Javokhir Sindarov. That mistake cost his team crucial game points. Mamedyarov was brilliant on Day 2 but nearly blundered away a dominant position to Pragg on Day 3 before escaping with a draw. Wesley So finally broke through on Day 4, defeating Arjun Erigaisi after the Indian star lost on time from a winning position.
Women’s Boards: Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli against Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Kosteniuk. Zhu has been a revelation for the Kings, consistently putting opponents in near-zugzwang positions and proving herself as one of the tournament’s standout performers. The Indian duo needs to find their rhythm after inconsistent performances so far.
Prodigy Board: Bardiya Daneshvar takes on Marc Maurizzi in a rematch that carries psychological weight. Daneshvar made a crucial 45th-move mistake on Day 3, losing a winning position to Leon Mendonca in dramatic fashion. Maurizzi suffered an even more painful collapse against Volodar Murzin on Day 3, making several time-pressure errors after cruising to victory. Both youngsters will need mental fortitude to recover from their devastating losses.
What to Expect:
This is the heavyweight championship bout of the league stage. The Mumba Masters looked unstoppable on Day 4, winning every single board against the hapless Knights, while the Kings bounced back impressively from their Day 3 shock. Firouzja continues his remarkable run, but MVL has the quality to challenge him. The team that wins the supporting cast battle will likely prevail. Expect tactical fireworks from the opening moves, with both teams knowing a victory here could provide a massive psychological advantage.
Match 14: Alpine SG Pipers vs PBG Alaskan Knights (18:30 IST)
This is a must-win for both teams, but particularly for the PBG Alaskan Knights, who remain the only winless team after four rounds. The Alpine SG Pipers picked up their second consecutive win on Day 4, defeating American Gambits 10-4 to climb to six match points. The Knights, meanwhile, suffered their most humiliating defeat yet, losing 2-18 to the Mumba Masters without winning a single individual game.
Key Matchups:
Icon Board: Fabiano Caruana versus World Champion D Gukesh promises to be the most emotionally charged encounter of the match. Caruana has won all four of his Icon board games, defeating Firouzja, Anand, Nakamura (in a draw), and MVL. He’s carrying his team magnificently but needs more support. Gukesh, playing in front of his home crowd, has endured a nightmare tournament—losing to Firouzja, drawing with Nakamura, getting defeated comprehensively by his mentor Anand, and then losing again to MVL on Day 4. The reigning world champion has not won a single game, and the pressure is mounting with each passing day.
Men’s Boards: R Praggnanandhaa and Anish Giri for the Pipers face Arjun Erigaisi and Leinier Dominguez. Pragg has been improving, securing his first win on Day 3, while also drawing Nakamura and Mamedyarov in hard-fought encounters. Giri finally picked up his first team win on Day 4 after struggling in the opening rounds. Erigaisi’s Day 4 loss to Wesley So, where he flagged from a winning position, was heartbreaking. India’s number two has yet to deliver for his struggling team, and the pressure is immense. Dominguez has also been disappointing after strong performances in previous seasons.
Women’s Boards: Hou Yifan and Nino Batsiashvili versus Sara Khadem and Kateryna Lagno. Batsiashvili has been the Pipers’ most consistent performer with four wins from four matches, proving to be an absolute rock for her team. Hou Yifan has been improving after a slow start, crushing Humpy on Day 3 and drawing Bibisara Assaubayeva on Day 4. The Knights’ women’s section has lacked winning punch throughout the tournament.
Prodigy Board: Leon Mendonca against Daniel Dardha. Mendonca has been clutch for the Pipers, delivering two consecutive match-winning performances on Days 3 and 4 by converting seemingly lost positions. Dardha has struggled to make an impact for the Knights, who desperately need their young star to step up.
What to Expect:
The Knights are in freefall, having lost every match and failed to win a single individual game through four rounds. The psychological toll must be enormous, and they face a Pipers team that has found its rhythm with back-to-back wins. Gukesh faces unimaginable pressure to deliver his first win in front of the home crowd, while Caruana will be eager to continue his perfect Icon board record. This could get ugly for the Knights if they don’t turn things around immediately. The Pipers sense blood in the water and will look to capitalize ruthlessly.
Match 15: Ganges Grandmasters vs FYERS American Gambits (20:00 IST)
The evening finale features two teams deadlocked on six match points, battling to stay within striking distance of the leaders. Both suffered defeats on Day 4—the Grandmasters falling 6-11 to Triveni Continental Kings despite Sindarov’s brilliant win, and the American Gambits losing 4-10 to Alpine SG Pipers.
Key Matchups:
Icon Board: Viswanathan Anand versus Hikaru Nakamura is the clash of legends that chess fans have been craving. Anand bounced back brilliantly on Day 3, defeating Gukesh comprehensively, but was outplayed by Firouzja on Day 4 after getting a healthy position from the opening. Nakamura has been solid throughout, drawing Gukesh and Firouzja while defeating MVL. This battle between the five-time world champion and the world number two promises tactical complexity and fighting chess.
Men’s Boards: Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov for the Grandmasters against Richard Rapport and Vladislav Artemiev. Sindarov has been exceptional, winning three games and rejecting draw offers to convert winning positions with precision. He’s been the Grandmasters’ most consistent performer outside of Anand’s Day 3 heroics. Rapport delivered Chess.com’s Game of the Day on Day 3 with his spectacular win over Vidit, but lost to Pragg on Day 4. Artemiev has been relatively quiet so far.
Women’s Boards: Stavroula Tsolakidou and Polina Shuvalova versus Bibisara Assaubayeva and Teodora Injac. Shuvalova has been sensational, winning her first three games before drawing on Day 4, while Tsolakidou has also contributed solid performances. The Gambits’ women’s section needs to provide more support for Nakamura and Rapport.
Prodigy Board: Raunak Sadhwani against Volodar Murzin. Sadhwani has bounced back nicely after his Day 1 blunder, winning on Days 2, 3, and 4. Murzin was the hero of Day 3, pulling off an incredible turnaround to beat Marc Maurizzi, but lost to Leon Mendonca on Day 4.
What to Expect:
Both teams need to win to keep pace with the leaders, who are pulling away at the top. The Grandmasters have shown they can compete when their supporting cast delivers for Anand, while the Gambits remain heavily reliant on Nakamura’s brilliance. This match could swing on the men’s boards, where Sindarov has been outstanding and Rapport has shown flashes of brilliance. The home crowd will be firmly behind Anand in his battle against Nakamura, and the atmosphere at the Royal Opera House should be electric for this evening showdown.
The Title Race
After Day 4, upGrad Mumba Masters and Triveni Continental Kings sit atop the standings with nine match points each, three clear of the chasing pack. Alpine SG Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, and FYERS American Gambits are all tied on six points, while PBG Alaskan Knights remain winless at the bottom. The leader clash in Match 13 could prove decisive in determining who emerges as the title favorite heading into the crucial second half of the double round-robin.
