Triveni Continental Kings Triumph in Global Chess League Showdown
Continental Kings Secure Narrow Victory
In a thrilling encounter on December 20, Marc'andria Maurizzi clinched a dramatic win against Volodar Murzin, enabling the defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, to achieve an 8-7 victory over Fyers Amerian Gambits. This win has allowed them to establish a six-point lead at the top of the leaderboard during Matchday 7 of the Global Chess League, a collaborative effort between Tech Mahindra and FIDE.
Meanwhile, Ganges Grandmasters managed to defeat Alpine SG Pipers but faced a setback against PBG Alaskan Knights, placing them in third with 12 match points.
Despite suffering a heavy defeat of 16-1 against American Gambits, upGrad Mumba Masters remain in second place with 12 match points, while the Continental Kings lead with 18 points, inching closer to a final berth.
At one point, it appeared that the American Gambits had opened the competition for the top two positions, having decisively beaten Mumba Masters earlier in the day. They even took a 7-4 lead against the Continental Kings after Theodora Injac's victory over Alexandra Kostenieuk on the women's board.
This scenario put pressure on Maurizzi, who needed to secure a win against world rapid champion Murzin on the prodigy board with black pieces to earn four game points and maintain the Continental Kings' lead. He accomplished this feat with flair, securing the match for his team and earning the Player of the Match accolade.
Earlier, Mumba Masters faced a significant blow to their final aspirations after being overwhelmed by American Gambits in their earlier match.
Following a ceremonial move by actor and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman on the icon board, Vladislav Artemiev initiated the Gambits' success with a solid win over Wesley So. Hikaru Nakamura then triumphed over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in 55 moves. Player of the Match Richard Rapport further solidified the Gambits' victory with a win against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Only Bardiya Daneshwar managed to score for Mumba Masters, drawing with Volodar Murzin.
The slip-up by the second-placed Mumba Masters opened opportunities for other teams, allowing Ganges Grandmasters to close the gap with a narrow 10-9 victory over Alpine SG Pipers.
The Grandmasters had a chance to ascend to second place in their final match of the day against the last-placed PBG Alaskan Knights.
Sara Khadem's victory over Stavroula Tsolakidou and Player of the Match Arjun Erigaisi's win against Vincent Keymer secured six vital points for their team. On the icon board, world champion D Gukesh aimed for victory against Viswanathan Anand but could not convert his advantage in a rook-pawn endgame. However, the draw was sufficient to ensure a win for the Knights.