Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, day three: Alaskan Knights stay unbeaten as Ganges break losing streak
London – 5th October 2024 – PBS Alaskan Knights continue their unbeaten run, while Ganges Grandmasters secure their first win in a dramatic day at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.
The arena at London’s Friends House was packed as spectators gathered for the third day of the Global Chess League.
The PBS Alaskan Knights extended their lead with a dominant 12-3 win over the Ganges Grandmasters, maintaining a perfect record with four consecutive victories, earning them 12 match points and 49 game points. Defending champions Triveni Continental Kings played two matches today—winning the first 15-3 against American Gambits, where Alireza Firouzja defeated world number two Hikaru Nakamura, but narrowly losing the second to Ganges Grandmasters. Triveni remain in second place with six match points and 43 game points, just six behind the leaders.
Alpine Sg Pipers also impressed, defeating upGrad Mumba Masters 12-4. They now sit in third place with six match points, though their 27 game points from three matches leave them behind Triveni. upGrad Mumba Masters, in fourth place, have only one win from four matches and 29 game points after losing to the Pipers today.
The big upset of the day came in the final match: Ganges Grandmasters, led by former World Champion Vishy Anand, finally broke their losing streak with a 10-8 win over Triveni. With one win and 24 game points from four matches, they sit in fifth place. Hikaru Nakamura’s American Gambits are in last place, with only one match victory and 16 game points from three matches, having been dismantled 15-3 by Triveni.
Here follows a closer look at the matches of the day:
PBS Alaskan Knights dominate with four wins in a row as Vishy Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters struggle at the bottom
The third day of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League kicked off with a clash between the tournament leaders, PBS Alaskan Knights, and the struggling Ganges Grandmasters, who had yet to secure a single victory.
The coin toss gave the Alaskan Knights the white pieces, with 20 minutes per player on the clock—there are just 40 minutes for the entire match. Early on, it was clear this was going to be a tense fight. Half an hour in, and with just 10 minutes left, not a single game had been decided.
Momentum briefly seemed to shift toward Ganges, as computer evaluations favoured them on several boards. But with time ticking down, the Knights got an edge on the lower boards.
The first game to wrap up was on the superstars’ board, where Arjun Erigaisi, playing Black, missed a winning opportunity against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, allowing the game to end in a draw—a frustrating outcome for Ganges. In the clash between Icon players Vishy Anand and Anish Giri, the former world champion built a powerful position ended up drawing due to time issues. It was a rocky start for Ganges, but things quickly got worse.
Alina Kashlinskaya gave the Alaskan Knights an early lead with a crucial win on the women’s board. Although Ganges’ Parham Maghsoodloo seemed poised to level the score, a last-second blunder handed victory to Knights’ Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Tan Zhongyi extended the Knights’ advantage with another win on the second women’s board. With the match already decided, Nihal Sarin calmly secured a draw against Volodar Murzin, sealing a dominant 12-3 victory for the Alaskan Knights.
Defending champions Triveni sweep past gambits as Nakamura loses to Firouzja
In the second match of the day, the American Gambits, playing with the white pieces, faced off against last year’s champions, Triveni Continental Kings. It was the first meeting between these two teams, both sitting on three match points with one victory and one defeat each.
World number two and top chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura found himself in deep trouble against Alireza Firouzja—both on the board and the clock. Despite his best efforts, Nakamura couldn’t escape and was forced to resign.
Triveni continued their dominance, with Wei Yi defeating Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Alexandra Kosteniuk pulling off a miracle win in a lost position against Bibisara Assaubayeva. These victories sealed the match for Triveni.
With the remaining three games ending in draws, Triveni triumphed with a commanding 15-3 score. The win keeps the defending champions in the thick of the competition, while the Gambits will need to find their form quickly if they want to challenge for the top spot.
After the match, Triveni’s top player Alireza Firouzja was optimistic saying that the atmosphere in his team is great and that they are in good form for the event.
“This is a great event and the format is exciting. This is the strongest chess league in the world so it’s difficult but our team is in good shape,” Alireza said in an interview after the match.
Rapport and Dardha lead Alpine Pipers to 12-4 Victory against Mumba Masters
Next up were the Mumba Masters and Alpine Sg Pipers. Despite winning the coin toss, the Pipers opted to play with the black pieces. Team captain GM Pravin Thipsay explained the decision, saying, “It was based on the team we are playing against. When you play with the black pieces in the first half of the league, you have more chances to maneuver in the final part, so I thought it was better to take Black now.”
On board one, Alpine’s Magnus Carlsen found himself in a defensive position against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, unable to break free. The game ended in a draw. On board two, Indian teammates Vidit Gujrathi (Mumba Masters) and Praggnanandhaa also played to a balanced draw.
The pressure then shifted to Alpine’s star GM Richard Rapport, who delivered a crucial win against Peter Svidler. Despite starting with the advantage of the first move, Svidler found himself in a weaker position early on and couldn’t recover.
Both women’s boards ended in draws, leaving the match to be decided on the junior board. Alpine’s Daniel Dardha secured a victory over Raunak Sadhwani having promoted an extra queen, clinching a 12-4 win for the Pipers. This result propelled Alpine Sg Pipers to third place in the league with six match points, while Mumba Masters remain on three.
Finally, a first victory for Ganges Grandmasters
The day concluded with a high-stakes match between Triveni Continental Kings and Ganges Grandmasters. Vishy Anand’s team, desperate for their first victory after three crushing defeats, was under immense pressure. Already reeling from an earlier loss in the day, Anand had to rally his team, using his authority as a former world champion to lift their spirits. But no pep talk could help on the board, where players had to prove they could outmanoeuvre their opponents.
After the coin toss, Triveni played with the white pieces, putting Anand on the back foot as Black against Alireza Firouzja. The young French star steadily built up pressure, and by move 22, had a winning position. Despite Anand’s best efforts to resist, he eventually had to concede defeat., giving the lead to Triveni. Firouzja’s stellar form continues, having defeated three giants—Carlsen, Anand, and Nakamura—over the past two days. Meanwhile, Ganges’ Arjun Erigaisi settled for a fourth consecutive draw, splitting the point with Wei Yi, a further sign of his struggling form.
Triveni extended their lead when Alexandra Kosteniuk beat Vaishali Rameshbabu. However, Parham Maghsoodloo, who had blundered a winning position in the previous match, redeemed himself with a key victory over Teimour Radjabov, keeping Ganges in the fight. With the junior board ending in a draw, the fate of the match rested on Valentina Gunina and Nurgyul Salimova. In a drawn position, Gunina pushed too hard despite her team being ahead. She eventually lost on time, handing Ganges the crucial four points they needed to pull off their first win of the tournament. The final score of the match was 10-8, for Ganges.
The League continues on Sunday, with matches taking place from 1PM BST.
