Hou Yifan Leads Alpine SG Pipers to Victory in Global Chess League
Alpine SG Pipers Surge in Global Chess League
New Delhi [India] - On December 21, three-time women's world champion Hou Yifan showcased her exceptional skills by winning both her matches with black pieces, propelling Alpine SG Pipers to two crucial victories on the second-to-last day of the league stage in the Global Chess League (GCL), a collaborative effort between Tech Mahindra and FIDE.
The defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, secured their third consecutive spot in the finals with a decisive 14-5 victory over Ganges Grandmasters, accumulating 21 match points from seven wins out of nine matches. Meanwhile, Alpine SG Pipers triumphed over upGrad Mumba Masters and Fyers American Gambits, both by narrow 8-7 margins, bringing their total to 15 match points.
First edition finalists, Mumba Masters, faced a significant hurdle in their quest for the finals after losing both matches on Sunday. They were overwhelmed 16-1 by American Gambits on Saturday and needed to defeat PBG Alaskan Knights in their final match to reclaim the second spot, but fell short with an 8-10 loss, despite Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's victory over world champion D Gukesh.
Player of the Match Leinier Dominguez managed to defeat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov on the third board, while Sara Khadem caused an upset by forcing D Harika to resign after 65 moves.
With the second final spot still up for grabs, Mumba Masters must defeat Continental Kings and hope PBG Alaskan Knights can halt Alpine SG Pipers' winning streak.
Ganges Grandmasters also have a slim chance to qualify, but they need a significant win over American Gambits and rely on other contenders' losses.
At the start of Sunday’s matches, the Pipers were in fifth place and needed to secure victories in both games to keep their final hopes alive. Hou Yifan rose to the occasion, defeating Mumba Masters' Koneru Humpy and handing Bibisara Assaubayeva of American Gambits her first tournament loss, earning Player of the Match honors in both encounters.
In her match against Bibisara, Yifan took nearly six minutes to navigate to a pawn-king endgame, which ultimately proved decisive for her team. Reflecting on her strategy, Yifan noted, “I felt like it was a very critical moment when games go to a critical endgame. That’s why I thought I would take time and think it through. I had nine minutes, and that was enough to calculate.”
Despite losing on the prodigy board in both matches, Yifan's victories with black pieces were pivotal, as winning with black earns a team four game points compared to three for a win with white. All other boards in both matches ended in draws.
In a match between Alpine SG Pipers, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings thwarted Ganges Grandmasters' aspirations for a top-two finish with a commanding 14-5 win, securing their place in the finals.
On the icon board, Player of the Match Alireza Firouzja rebounded from two losses the previous day to defeat Viswanathan Anand in 48 moves, executing a brilliant queen sacrifice with black pieces. Continental Kings' female stars, Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Kosteniuk, also triumphed with black pieces, solidifying the outcome. The only highlight for Ganges Grandmasters came from 2025 World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov, who overcame Vidit Gujarathi in 53 moves during a rook-knight ending.