London, October 12
Friday marked the final day of matches at the Global Chess League, where two teams advanced to the finals. Despite three matches taking place, 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 a winning position against Wei Yi, and Hou Yifan misplayed her advantage 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 boards 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.
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--playing as Black--applied significant pressure on Alireza Firouzja. By the middlegame, Carlsen had 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 Alexandra Kosteniuk, who fought hard to stay in the game.
Triveni's lone bright spot was on board five, where Valentina Gunina had a significantly better position against Kateryna Lagno. Gunina ultimately won, marking the beginning of a remarkable turnaround for Triveni.
The prodigy board remained even until the endgame.
Then, momentum sharply shifted. While Carlsen defeated Firouzja to give SG Pipers a critical lead, Praggnanandhaa misplayed his winning position against Wei Yi, resulting in a draw. The same fate struck Hou Yifan, who also drew her game. With that, SG Pipers clung to a slim one-point lead, 7-6, but one game remained.
On the prodigy board, Triveni's Javokhir Sindarov created a dominating position against Daniel Dardha and refused to let up. Despite Dardha's attempts to salvage a draw, Sindarov maintained his pressure and defeated his opponent with just 14 seconds remaining on the clock.It was a spectacular comeback for Triveni, who will now attempt to defend their season one title in a round-robin showdown against PBG Alaskan Knights on Saturday.
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 delivering victories 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 wins in ten matches, they are deserved finalists. Despite their defeat, the Gambits finished the tournament in fourth place, securing a prize.