Alpine SG Pipers Secure Final Spot Despite Loss in Global Chess League
Alpine SG Pipers' Journey to the Finals
New Delhi [India] - December 22: Despite suffering a defeat of 6-11 against PBG Alaskan Knights in their final league match, Leon Luke Mendonca's draw on the prodigy board proved crucial for Alpine SG Pipers, allowing them to qualify for the finals against the top-ranked Triveni Continental Kings. This event is part of the Global Chess League (GCL), a collaborative effort between Tech Mahindra and FIDE.
In their last league encounter, the Pipers were in a position to control their destiny, tied on 15 match points with Ganges Grandmasters. To secure the second spot on the leaderboard, they needed either a victory over the Alaskan Knights or to accumulate at least six game points. Ultimately, the Pipers finished with 84 game points, narrowly edging out the Grandmasters, who had 83.
The Alaskan Knights were also vying for a win to qualify for the third-place playoff, which they achieved impressively. World champion D Gukesh capitalized on a mistake from Fabiano Caruana, while Arjun Erigaisi triumphed over Anish Giri, contributing eight essential points to their team.
For the Pipers, three-time Women's World Champion Hou Yifan continued her winning streak, defeating Kateryna Lagno in just 20 moves. At that point, the Pipers seemed poised for advancement, but the two leading Indian chess players created tense moments for the team.
With R Praggnanandhaa and Nino Batsiashvili securing solid draws, the Pipers' hopes rested on Mendonca's ability to draw against Daniel Darda. He successfully neutralized Darda's advantage and agreed to a draw after 42 moves.
Earlier, Ganges Grandmasters kept their final hopes alive by defeating Fyers Amerian Gambits 12-3 in their last league match.
On the final day, the Pipers, Grandmasters, and Mumba Masters were all in contention for the second spot. The Grandmasters were the first to compete against the American Gambits.
Playing with the white pieces, Viswanathan Anand drew with Hikaru Nakamura on the icon board. However, Vincent Keymer's victory over Vladislav Artemiev in 39 moves and Player of the Match Raunak Sadhwani's win against World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin in 42 moves gave the Grandmasters a significant advantage. Stavroula Tsolakidou then defeated Teodora Injac, but it wasn't enough to secure a final spot, leading them to face the Alaskan Knights for third place.
In another match, Mumba Masters faced a tough challenge against the table-topping Triveni Continental Kings. Although Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Bardiya Daneshvar secured wins, the team ultimately fell short, losing 10-9.