The PBG Alaskan Knights continued their winning run in the Global Chess League while Visawanathan Anand's Ganges Grandmasters struggled again on Sunday.
American Gambits vs Ganges Grandmasters
In the opening match on Sunday, Hikaru Nakamura and Elisabeth Paehtz lead the winning charge for the American Gambits.
On the Icon board, world number two Hikaru Nakamura surprised former world champion Anand with an unexpected opening. Despite the early surprise, Anand, playing black, equalised quickly, and the game remained balanced for most of its duration. However, as time became a factor, Anand made a bold decision -- sacrificing his queen for a rook and a bishop. Nakamura maintained the pressure, forcing Anand to spend more time on the clock, and he eventually claimed victory, leveraging the time pressure.
A wild game unfolded on the women's board, where Ganges' Nurgyul Salimova launched an aggressive attack against Elisabeth Paehtz's king. However, the German defended brilliantly, emerging a piece up and winning.
On the second Icon board, Parham Maghsoodloo managed to secure a draw against Wei Yi by pulling off several moves in rapid succession, resulting in a threefold repetition. Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali R drew their game, while superstars Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Arjun Erigaisi also settled for a draw. Likewise, the two juniors -- Jonas Bjerre and Volodar Murzin ended their game in a stalemate.
The final score of the match was 10-4 in favor of the American Gambits.
Alpine Sg Pipers vs PBG Alaskan Knights
In the second match of the day, tournament leaders PBG Alaskan Knights faced a tough challenge from the third-placed Alpine Sg Pipers on Sunday. Despite winning the coin toss, the Pipers opted to play with the black pieces, a decision influenced by Magnus Carlsen after team captain Pravin Thipsay initially wanted to take White.
The match's biggest upset occurred on the Icon board, where Anish Giri blundered a piece against Magnus Carlsen, losing in just 22 moves. This was the shortest game of the league so far, lasting only 20 minutes.
At the end of Day , the Knights and Kings are looking strong at the top of the Stake Points Table ��♟@KickStreaming #TechMGCL #TheNextMove pic.twitter.com/kUkQTbCN2L
- Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) October 6, 2024
On the superstars' board, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov drew with Richard Rapport, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov delivered a crushing victory over R Praggnanandhaa in a rook endgame, scoring a first win for PBG Alaskan Knights. The momentum shifted further in favour of the Alaskan Knights when Tan Zhongyi, in a duel of former world champions, defeated Hou Yifan, currently the top-rated woman player. Alina Kashlinskaya and Kateryna Lagno drew on the women's board, bringing the score to 8-6 for PBG.
The drama escalated on the final board in play, where PBG's Nihal Sarin was winning against Daniel Dardha but faced severe time pressure. With just three seconds left, Sarin claimed a draw under the rules. Had he not done so and Dardha won on time, the Alaskan Knights would have secured the match win.
With this 9-7 victory, the PBG Alaskan Knights extended their winning streak to five rounds.
Triveni Continental Kings vs upGrad Mumba Masters
Season one champions, Triveni, kicked off their first match of the day playing as White against the Mumba Masters. Despite winning the coin toss, the Mumba Masters chose to play as Black. At this stage, both teams had accumulated six match points, though Triveni held a decisive advantage in game points, leading 43 to 29.
Triveni's Icon player, Alireza Firouzja, continued his impressive form against top-tier opponents, comfortably defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. On board two, Wei Yi secured a victory over Vidit Gujrathi, while Valentina Gunina triumphed over Harika Dronavalli on the women's board. With the remaining games ending in draws, Triveni emerged with a commanding 12-3 win.
This victory propelled Triveni to second place, with a total of nine match points and 55 game points.
Alpine Sg Pipers vs American Gambits
The match saw the clash between Carlsen and Nakamura and it ended in a draw. Praggnanandhaa played out a draw against Jan-Krzysztof Duda while Rapport's match against Yangyi also ended in a stalemate.
Hou Yifan then defeated Assaubayeva but then Paehtz secured a crucial win against Lagno. It was Daniel Dardha who proved to be the match winner for the Pipers as he defeated Jonas Buhl Bjerre.
The Pipers eventually won the match 9-7.