Alpine SG Pipers defeat Triveni Continental Kings to emerge as new Tech Mahindra GCL Champions
In a dramatic final day in Mumbai, Alpine SG Pipers defeated defending champions Triveni Continental Kings in both rapid matches, with 4–2 and 4.5–1.5. In the match for third place, PBG Alaskan Knights emerged as winners, defeating Ganges Grandmasters in both blitz tiebreak matches following a 1–1 result in the rapid matches. The curtain came down on Season 3 of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, with players and teams fighting for their share of a one million dollar prize fund. After nine days of matches and festivities in Mumbai – this was the final act. The sunny weather and warm coastal breeze outside were in contrast with the tension on the podium inside the Royal Opera House. The first matchup of the day saw the team of PBG Alaskan Knights take on Ganges Grandmasters in the clash for third place. Ganges won the first rapid match, but then PBG struck back in the second. In the blitz tiebreak, Kateryna Lagno defeated Polina Shuvalova in both games, and Gukesh prevailed over Anand in the second game, clinching third place for PBG. The team that started Season 3 with four defeats, resurrected itself to third place in a stunning turn of fortune. The final saw Alpine SG Pipers beat defending champions Triveni Continental Kings in both rapid matches. The first match ended 4–2. In the second, where Triveni played with the white pieces, there was even more drama and tension. Despite an objection from Alireza Firouzja on the Icon board, who could not believe he had lost on time in a winning position against Fabiano Caruana, the result was crushing for Triveni – 4.5–1.5. Still, the champions conceded defeat with grace. After two seasons dominated by Triveni, who were again the favourites, the team of Alpine SG Pipers emerged as the new Champions of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. Greeted by applause from the audience, Fabiano Caruana – Alpine SG’s Icon player – lifted the Tech Mahindra GCL Trophy – announcing the new champions of the League. The victors then emerged on the balcony of the Royal Opera House in Mumbai, to be greeted by cheers of fans, who came to witness a new chapter in chess history forged in India, by Indians. In the closing ceremony, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group – Anand Mahindra – announced that the fourth season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League will run from September 2-13, 2026, with the location to be announced at a later stage. A resurrection for PBG PBG came back into season three from the edge of the abyss. From four consecutive losses at the start, they managed to climb back to the middle of the scoreboard and inch their way into the final stage. For the team of Ganges Grandmasters, the round-robin stage of the tournament was a mix of highs and lows. Their standout performer throughout the tournament was Javokhir Sinarov, the rising Uzbek star who recently won one of the toughest chess tournaments on the planet – the World Cup in Goa. Arjun Erigaisi was the most consistent performer for PBG, but it was their Icon board player Gukesh – the reigning world champion – who, despite having a tough tournament, delivered the crucial win in the final round of all-play-all, sending his team to the final stage. In the round-robin part of the event, PBG and Ganges had a victory each. Ganges Grandmasters crushed PBG Alaskan Knights 12 – 3 in their first meeting, and PBG hit back in the return match, winning 9 – 7. Overall in Game Points, Ganges scored 19 against PBG’s 12. This time around, there were no Game Points. The rules of the finals In the final stage of the tournament, the games were scored in the same way as in other chess tournaments: a victory is a full point, a draw is half a point each. The final was played as the best of two matches. A drawing of lots decided which team has White in the first match, and colours are reversed in the second. If the teams are tied after these two matches, they play a blitz playoff, again best of two, with three minutes plus two seconds per move and the same colour pattern. If it is still drawn, one board from one to six is chosen by lot and those two players play a sudden-death blitz game. If that game is drawn, new boards and colours are selected in turn and sudden-death games are repeated until there is a winner. Third place decided after blitz tiebreaks Ganges had White in the first rapid match. As the teams took their places on the podium, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich was invited to make the ceremonial first move in the Indian clash between the former world champion Vishy Anand and the current holder of the crown, Gukesh D. For most of the match, all boards were locked in close positions. The first big break came on board one, where Anand gained the upper hand against Gukesh. The world champion got into time trouble and, in a drawn endgame, made a critical error. He soon had to resign, giving Ganges a 1–0 lead. Within minutes, with all players in time trouble, several more games finished. Jakokhir Sindarov defeated Leinier Dominguez, while Polina Shuvalova checkmated Kateryna Lagno’s king in the center of the board, increasing the lead to 3–0. PBG countered on board two as Arjun Erigaisi beat Vincent Keymer. On the second women’s board, Sara Khadem converted a winning position against Stavroula Tsolakidou, bringing PBG back to 3 – 2. The last remaining game was the prodigy duel between Raunak Sadhwani and Daniel Dardha. For most of the game they were locked in an equal position, but in time trouble Dardha blundered, allowing Sadhwani to take over and win. The first match finished 4–2 – a commanding victory for Ganges. Still, PBG were no strangers to poor starts and big comebacks. With the return match coming up,
Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi and Tetyana Skarbarchuk crowned Ukrainian Champions
IM Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi and Tetyana Skarbarchuk emerged as the winners of the 2025 Ukrainian Championship, each claiming their maiden national title. The championship was held in Lviv from December 15 to 22, 2025. Both the Open and Women’s tournaments, running simultaneously, followed a 9-round Swiss system with classical time controls. The Open event brought together 125 participants and featured a fierce battle for the title from start to finish. Andrii Trushko seized an early lead, but several players caught up with him in the following round. Defending champion Roman Dehtiarov took the lead after Round 6, only to face one of his closest rivals – IM Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi, the top seed – in Round 7. Bakhmatskyi scored a crucial victory, took the sole lead, and never relinquished it. Heading into the final round half a point ahead of four rivals, he drew with Trushko and secured the title with 7.5/9, as none of his closest pursuers managed to win their final games. Four players tied for second place with 7/9. Dehtiarov and Trushko earned silver and bronze, respectively, based on superior Buchholz tiebreak scores. Final Standings – Open The Women’s Championship, which attracted 31 players, followed a different script. Tetyana Skarbarchuk dominated the field, clinching the title with a round to spare, and finishing with an impressive 8.5/9. Lyudmyla Ivanytska secured the silver medal with 7/9, thanks to a crucial final-round victory over last year’s bronze medalist and top seed, Anastasia Hnatyshyn. The 2024 Women’s Champion, Yevgeniya Toroptseva, completed the podium with 6.5/9. Final Standings – Women Photos: Ukrainian Chess Federation Facebook Official website: ukrchess.org.ua/
Applications open for 2026 Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI)
The Kazakhstan Chess Federation is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for the Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) 2026. FACI is an international project implemented by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation with the support of Freedom Holding Corp., in partnership with FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation (ACF). The Project aims to support the sustainable development of chess by strengthening national chess federations, developing chess education, and promoting international cooperation. In 2025, the FACI Project supported seven national chess federations: Oman, Cambodia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Pakistan. Participating countries achieved strong results, including prize-winning places at international tournaments. Selected countries also received grants to take part in the FIDE World Cadet Chess Championships in Almaty, providing young players the opportunity to compete at the highest level. A key focus of the FACI Project is the organization of training camps for national teams, conducted with the participation of Kazakhstan’s leading coaches. National chess federations interested in participating in FACI 2026 are invited to submit their applications via the official website: faci.kazchess.kz/. Deadline: January 12, 2026, 12:00 PM Astana time (UTC+5). All applications will be processed in accordance with the FACI Project Regulations. The results of the selection process will be announced in early February 2026. Federations that participated in 2025 are invited to submit a new application to be considered for support in 2026. Decisions will be made by the FACI Working Group and the President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Please carefully review the FACI Project Regulations posted on the official website: faci.kazchess.kz/ For more detailed information about the FACI Project, you can watch our video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMYLo4rCK24
2025 FIDE General Assembly and 4th FIDE Council Meeting: Key decisions
The fourth FIDE Council Meeting of 2025 and the 2025 FIDE General Assembly took place online on December 11 and December 14, respectively. These meetings addressed a range of significant topics, including membership matters, budget and audit issues, electoral rules, the FIDE calendar, and more. New Member Federations The FIDE General Assembly approved the admission of three new Member Federations: Guinea Chess Federation Marshall Islands Chess Federation Kiribati Chess Federation These federations are now officially part of FIDE, further expanding the global reach of the organization. Re-establishment of the FIDE Chess Oscar Award The FIDE Assembly approved the re-establishment of the FIDE Chess Oscar Award, which will be presented annually to recognize exceptional achievements in the world of chess. The awards will honor Best Male Chess Player of the Year, Best Female Chess Player of the Year, Best Tournament of the Year, Best Federation of the Year, and more. The reintroduction of this prestigious award reflects FIDE’s commitment to celebrating the outstanding contributions and achievements in the chess community. Decisions regarding the limitations on the Russian and Belarussian Chess federations The FIDE General Assembly approved two resolutions regarding this matter. For more details on this decision, see the official FIDE release: fide.com/fide-general-assembly-decisions-regarding-russia-and-belarus/ Threat to Mexican Chess Federation Membership The FIDE Council has placed the Mexican Chess Federation under serious scrutiny, warning that failure to meet debt repayment deadlines could result in its suspension from FIDE. Mexico’s membership is at risk after two previous deadlines (November 2024 and July 2025) were violated, despite the federation submitting letters of guarantee. The FIDE Council’s decision outlines that if the Mexican Chess Federation fails to meet any of the upcoming repayment deadlines — January 31, 2026, March 31, 2026, and May 31, 2026 — its membership will be automatically suspended. This would prevent Mexico from hosting FIDE tournaments and delegating teams to FIDE and CCA events. For further details, you can check out the full lists of decisions: 4th FIDE Council Meeting, 11 December 2025 – List of Decisions (PDF) FIDE General Assembly, 14 December 2025 – List of Decisions (PDF) FIDE General Assembly – Voting Report (PDF) Voting Responses – Grid View (PDF)