The match between Ganges Grandmasters and PBG Alaskan Knights witnessed decisive outcomes on all six boards for the first time in the competition; FYERS American Gambits win first return match.
FYERS American Gambits reclaimed the top spot in the Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE, in Bengaluru on Tuesday with a thumping win over PBG Alaskan Knights, benefiting from two-time champions Triveni Continental Kings’ upset win over table toppers Alpine APL Pipers.
The Continental Kings, who were at the bottom of the standings with just one win from four matches, defeated the Pipers 10-4, while CheQ Mumba Masters got the better of FYERS American Gambits 11-6 in the fifth-round matches.
In the most dramatic match of the tournament so far, Ganges Grandmasters defeated PBG Alaskan Knights 12-8, with all six boards ending decisively. The Alaskan Knights also lost their second match of the day, going down 12-9 against FYERS American Gambits, as all six boards produced a result for the second time in a day.
Let’s take a closer look at today’s action:
Ganges Grandmasters vs. PBG Alaskan Knights: 12-8
The opening match of the day between Ganges Grandmasters, who are now third in the standings with nine match points, and PBG Alaskan Knights set the tone for a sensational day 4 at the GCL. While it was the first match in which all six boards produced decisive outcomes, a drama on the Prodigy board ultimately became the biggest talking point of the day.
On the icon board, Ian Nepomniachtchi dispatched Viswanathan Anand in just 23 moves, while Polina Shuvalova registered her third win in four games by beating Kateryna Lagno. The Player of the Match Leinier Dominguez Perez squeezed out a win over 15-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who cracked under time pressure.
But it looked like those three victories would not really help the Ganges Grandmasters wrap up the match as Arjun Erigaisi beat Levon Aronian and Nino Batsiashvili got the better of Stavroula Tsolakidou to close the gap to one point while Abhimanyu Mishra had a clearly winning position on the Prodigy board, although both players were in severe time trouble.
The match score read 9-8 in favour of the Ganges Grandmasters, playing white, but they were clearly staring down the barrel.
With just a second left on the clock, Mishra did not legally complete the move while promoting his pawn to a queen as the pieces were not in the right position when he hit the clock. Mendonca was quick to bring it to the notice of the arbiter and ended up winning the game on time and Ganges Grandmasters clinched the match.
Explaining the reasoning behind his choice, Mendonca said, “He wanted to take my rook and make a queen. He pressed the clock and he went from to three seconds. I was given one minute but it had to be made one second for him.”
“He was clearly winning and I knew this was my only chance. I have had this discussion with a friend about how much time it takes to win a piece and convert it into a queen in a second. And I knew it was very difficult,” Mendonca added.
Mishra was understandably gutted. “It really hurts because if I had won, my team would have won the match,” he said, while explaining how things unfolded.
CheQ Mumba Masters vs. FYERS American Gambits: 11-6
CheQ Mumba Masters caught up with the Pipers in the standings as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Daniil Dubov in 42 moves, while Carissa Yip took full advantage of Sara Khadem’s misstep in an equal endgame to make it two wins for her team. M Pranesh had a chance to extend that lead further as he was in driver’s seat against Nihal Sarin but blundered a checkmate in one move.
Still, Mamedyarov’s and Yip’s victories were enough for the Mumba Masters to clinch the match.
Alpine APL Pipers vs. Triveni Continental Kings: 4-10
In the third match of the day, table toppers Alpine APL Pipers had the opportunity to extend their lead as they faced the Continental Kings, who didn’t have the best of starts to the competition.
However, the match followed a somewhat unexpected script. With four games drawn, Aravindh Chithambaram defeated Vidit Gujrathi in a topsy-turvy battle, while Pranav V forced Volodar Murzin to resign after 63 moves to secure the win for their team.
FYERS American Gambits vs. PBG Alaskan Knights: 12-9
In the last match of the day, all six games ended decisively as well, with the Gambits wrapping it up thanks to three victories with the black pies.
However, the scoreline and the match result could have been completely different. Arjun Erigaisi reached a winning position against Nihal Sarin in a tricky ending, but first missed a win and then even a draw.
At the end of day 4, FYERS American Gambits had taken the top spot in the standings with three match wins and 52 game points but had played one match more than their nearest challengers. Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers and CheQ Mumba Masters have nine match points and 47 game points each and are currently in second and third positions, respectively.
Standings after Day 4
Schedule for Wednesday, September 9
3.30 PM: CheQ Mumbai Masters vs Alpine APL Pipers
5.00 PM: Ganges Grandmasters vs Triveni Continental Kings
6.30 PM: PBG Alaskan Knights vs CheQ Mumba Masters
8.00 PM: Triveni Continental Kings vs FYERS American Gambits
About the Global Chess League
The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, is the world’s first and largest official franchise league of its kind. The league brings together leading chess players from across the globe in a unique joint team format, with six players representing each franchise across Icons, Superstar Men, Superstar Women and Prodigies. Men and women compete together on the same team, with every board carrying equal value towards the team’s result. GCL has previously staged seasons in Dubai, London, and Mumbai and returns to India for Season 4 in Bengaluru.
GCL official website: https://globalchessleague.com/