Thrilling Conclusion Approaches in Global Chess League's Fourth Season

Exciting Developments in Bengaluru's Chess League

Bengaluru, Sep 10: The group stage of the fourth season of the Global Chess League (GCL) in Bengaluru is reaching an exhilarating climax, with only a single game point differentiating the top three teams as they head into the final two rounds.

The defending champions, Alpine APL Pipers, along with FYERS American Gambits and Ganges Grandmasters, are all tied at 15 Match Points after eight rounds. The Pipers and Gambits hold a slight edge with 73 Game Points, while the Grandmasters trail closely with 72.

On Thursday, both the Pipers and Grandmasters had opportunities to take the lead, as they were scheduled for two matches each.

The Ganges Grandmasters kicked off the day with a solid 12-4 victory over the Alpine APL Pipers, but later fell 13-5 to the American Gambits.

Meanwhile, the Pipers secured an 11-6 win against PBG Alaskan Knights, while CheQ Mumba Masters kept their final hopes alive with a convincing 14-5 victory over Triveni Continental Kings, bringing their total to 12 Match Points and 73 Game Points.

The day started with the Grandmasters dominating the Pipers without conceding a single game.

Stavroula Tsolakidou initiated the Grandmasters' success by handing Koneru Humpy her second loss of the tournament. On the men's board, two-time World Cup champion Levon Aronian turned the tables on Anish Giri, leveraging an extra knight in the endgame to clinch victory in 61 moves.

“I got lucky, very lucky. But I always believed I could find the best moves despite a poor start. Not losing was perhaps what I deserved, but winning is certainly a stroke of luck,” remarked Aronian, who was named Player of the Match.

Aronian continued his winning streak by defeating Nihal Sarin from FYERS American Gambits in the day's final match, although his team ultimately lost four out of six matches, losing their earlier advantage.

On the icon board, Candidates 2026 champion Javokhir Sindarov triumphed over Ian Nepomniachtchi, while Daniil Dubov outperformed Leinier Dominguez Perez. Bibisara Assaubayeva handed Polina Shuvalova her first defeat of the competition, and Marc’Andrea Maurizzi secured three points after Luke Leon Mendonca ran out of time on the prodigy board.

Earlier, the Pipers quickly rebounded from their loss to the Grandmasters, with world number one Magnus Carlsen overpowering Viswanathan Anand with the white pieces. Koneru Humpy then achieved her fourth tournament win, inflicting Nino Batsiashvili's first loss of Season 4.

Volodar Murzin triumphed over Abhimanyu Mishra in a time scramble on the prodigy board, solidifying the result. Only 15-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus managed to secure four points for the Alaskan Knights, as Vidit Gujrathi ran out of time on the men's board.

In another match, CheQ Mumba Masters kept their final aspirations alive with a resounding victory over Triveni Continental Kings.

Playing with black pieces, the Mumba Masters won three out of six games, with Alexandra Kosteniuk securing the only win for the Continental Kings. On the icon board, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave outmaneuvered Alireza Firouzja, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Aravindh Chithambaram on the men's board.

With Bardiya Daneshvar also winning on the prodigy board, the Mumba Masters raised their game points total to 73 from eight matches, achieving four victories.