PBG Alaskan Knights finally came to life on Day5 of the Global Chess League in Mumbai. They defeated the team of Alpine SG Pipers 12 – 8, scoring their first win of the season. On the top boards, Triveni Continental Kings beat upGrad Mumba Masters 9 – 5 and Ganges Grandmasters edged Fyers American Gambits 8 – 7 keeping the title race tight.
Day five of the Global Chess League in Mumbai brought a dramatic breakthrough for the PBG Alaskan Knights, who defeated the Alpine SG Pipers 12–8 to claim their first victory of the season. Meanwhile, at the top of the table, the Triveni Continental Kings beat the upGrad Mumbai Masters 9–5, and the Ganges Grandmasters edged the Fyers American Gambits 8–7, keeping the title race wide open.
The day marked a turning point for the Knights, who entered with four consecutive defeats. Playing with nothing to lose, PBG went all-out against Alpine, with Arjun Erigaisi, Kateryna Lagno, Leinier Dominguez, and a resurgent Gukesh all scoring victories.
Standings after Day 5
The reigning champions, Triveni, now stand alone at the top with 12 Match Points after defeating Mumbai in their direct duel. Ganges joined Mumbai on 9 Match Points, thanks to another strong performance from Javokhir Sindarov, who scored a quick win over Richard Rapport. The Fyers American Gambits and Alpine SG Pipers remain on 6 Match Points each, with PBG closing the gap to 3 points as the final rounds approach.
Match 13: upGrad Mumbai Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings (5–9)
Day five opened with a clash of leaders. The upGrad Mumbai Masters and Triveni Continental Kings both came into the round on 9 Match Points. Their rivalry dates to the first season in Dubai, where Mumbai won both round-robin matches, but Triveni took the title in a sudden-death final. In Season 2, the champions struck back twice. Meeting again at the top of the table in Season 3, both sides knew this match could shape the rest of the league.
From the start, the play was tight and tense. Mumbai had the White pieces, but Triveni were often ahead on the clock and, at times, slightly better on the board.
The first result came on the Superstar board, where Shakhriyar Mamedyarov faced Vidit Gujrathi. In a sharp English, Vidit twice seized the initiative, but Mamedyarov held firm. With both players short of time and no clear path forward, they repeated moves and agreed to a draw. Soon after, Wesley So and Wei Yi also split the point in a game where both pushed but failed to create decisive chances. The early draws set the tone for the match.
The outcome hinged on the Icon board. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja rattled out their moves in a Scheveningen Sicilian, a fast-paced duel between two of the world’s best blitz players. With Black, Firouzja solved all the opening problems and gained an edge thanks to a superior pawn structure. MVL defended well for a long time, but small inaccuracies crept in.
The critical moment came with 34.Nf1, a natural-looking move that was in fact a serious mistake. Firouzja did not find the best continuation but did enough to seize the advantage. The final phase was riddled with mutual errors in a time scramble, but MVL was the last to slip. Triveni earned four Game Points and a commanding lead on the top board.
On the women’s boards, Mumbai searched for a way back. Humpy Koneru and Zhu Jiner played a controlled game that never strayed from equality, ending in a quiet draw. The other women’s game was more tense. Alexandra Kosteniuk and Harika Dronavalli reached an opposite-coloured bishops endgame, known for its drawing tendencies. With no way to break through, the players agreed to another draw.
The final word belonged to the prodigy board. Following sharp exchanges, Marc’Andria Maurizzi emerged with an extra rook but could not escape a perpetual check, leading to yet another draw. This confirmed that the match would be decided by Firouzja’s win alone.
When the dust settled, Triveni Continental Kings had won 9–5 in Game Points, with one victory and five draws. The defending champions moved into sole first place, while Mumbai slipped back into the chasing pack—still very much in contention but no longer alone at the top.
Match 14: Alpine SG Pipers vs PBG Alaskan Knights (8–12)
This duel was a must-win for both sides. Alpine SG Pipers came in on the back of two straight victories and 6 Match Points. PBG Alaskan Knights were still on zero after four rounds and had not won a single individual game. After the coin toss, PBG chose to play with White. Their captain promised “fireworks on the boards,” and his team delivered from the first moves.
The Knights adopted sharp, aggressive play across all boards. The first breakthrough came on the Superstar board, where Arjun Erigaisi faced Anish Giri in a Queen’s Gambit Declined. Arjun seized the initiative early, and by move 18 his attack was nearly decisive. On move 21, he sacrificed a piece, tearing open the black king’s shelter. PBG took a 3–0 lead in Game Points.
Almost simultaneously, Kateryna Lagno struck on the women’s board. Facing Hou Yifan in a Sicilian, she punished an early mistake, trapping Black’s queen in the centre. Two moves later, Hou was forced to give up her queen for a rook. Lagno converted smoothly, giving the Knights another three Game Points and a 6–0 lead.
Alpine hit back through their most reliable player of the season. On the second women’s board, Nino Batsiashvili outplayed Sara Khadem in an Indian setup. Khadem was worse from the early middlegame and never recovered. Batsiashvili kept control, adding another win to her impressive Mumbai record and closing the gap to 6–4.
The momentum seemed to shift completely on the prodigy board. Leon Luke Mendonca, the hero of Alpine’s last two matches, delivered another strong performance. Facing Daniel Dardha in an English Opening, he outplayed his opponent in the middlegame and reached a completely winning position. With material about to fall and no counterplay, Dardha resigned. The win gave Alpine four more Game Points and turned the score around to 8–6 in their favour.
For a moment, it looked as if PBG were heading for another painful defeat. Then the World Champion stepped in. On the Icon board, Gukesh finally claimed his first win of the season. In an Italian Game against Fabiano Caruana, he chose a direct attacking plan, advancing his kingside pawns. Caruana, who had been performing well on the top board, was pushed onto the back foot and ran very low on time.
After seeing that his team was behind, Gukesh returned to the board, knowing he had to deliver. He maintained high pressure, gave Caruana no chance to consolidate, and finished the attack with precise blows. Caruana resigned, and the Knights jumped back into the lead at 9–8.
Everything now depended on the last game. On the remaining men’s board, Leinier Dominguez faced Praggnanandhaa. The middlegame was roughly level until Pragg chose to exchange queens – a decision that worked in White’s favour. Dominguez reached an endgame with two bishops against two knights and more time on the clock, gradually improving his position with each move. Eventually, Praggnanandhaa ran out of good options and conceded defeat.
Dominguez’s win brought three more Game Points for PBG, fixing the final score at 12–8. With four wins against two for the Pipers, the Knights celebrated their first match victory of the season – a huge relief for the team led by Gukesh, who not only broke their losing streak but also saw their Icon player finally get on the scoreboard.
Match 15: Ganges Grandmasters vs Fyers American Gambits (8–7)
The final match of Day 5 brought together two teams on 6 Match Points. The Ganges Grandmasters and Fyers American Gambits were both trying to stay close to Triveni and Mumbai at the top. A technical problem at the start affected the live broadcast from some boards, meaning players could not easily check other games. The match itself was tight and nervy from the first move to the last handshake.
The first breakthrough came on the men’s board, where Javokhir Sindarov faced Richard Rapport in a King’s Indian Attack. It turned into a wild fight, but once again Sindarov showed why he has been one of the stars of the event. He took control with Black early on, outplayed Rapport, and converted with good technique – a perfect start for Ganges, worth four Game Points.
Fyers hit back on the top women’s board, where Bibisara Assaubayeva pressed Polina Shuvalova in a Ruy Lopez. Black had serious weaknesses on the light squares, and Bibisara’s queen invaded the back rank, targeting the queenside. By move 40, the evaluation bar was fully in White’s favour. With the increment in place and more time on her clock, Assaubayeva finished smoothly. It was her first win of the season after four draws and Shuvalova’s first loss in Mumbai, narrowing the score to 4–3 for Ganges.
On the prodigy board, Volodar Murzin and Raunak Sadhwani played a balanced game with neither side able to tip the balance. The position simplified, and the players agreed to a draw, taking the score to 5–4 for Ganges.
The second women’s game was full of tension. Fyers’ Teodora Injac had the better position and more time against Stavroula Tsolakidou. In the time scramble, however, she misplayed and let much of her edge slip away. Tsolakidou defended stubbornly and held the endgame, saving a half-point. The draw kept Ganges in front and prevented the Gambits from levelling the match.
On the remaining men’s board, Vladislav Artemiev and Vincent Keymer fought a tough English Opening. After exchanges in the centre, Artemiev offered a draw. Keymer declined and tried to push, but Artemiev – though slightly worse on the clock – stayed in control. Once it became clear there was no realistic path forward without risk, the players split the point.
Everything then came down to the Icon board between Hikaru Nakamura and Viswanathan Anand. Black emerged from the opening with a slight edge, and Nakamura was visibly displeased, shaking his head at one point. Still, he never looked worried. After Rapport’s loss, Hikaru left the board to check the situation and saw his team was behind. He declined Anand’s offer to exchange queens, keeping pieces on the board to create chances. Anand, who had already faced a string of top-class opponents in Mumbai, remained solid. Neither side found a way to unbalance the position, and the game ended in a draw.
The final score was 8–7 in Game Points for the Ganges Grandmasters. They won by the smallest possible margin and moved to 9 Match Points, staying in touch with the leaders. The Fyers American Gambits remained on 6, still in the race but with less room for error in the remaining rounds.
Written by Milan Dinic
Photos: Global Chess League
About Tech Mahindra Global Chess League
The Global Chess League is the world’s first and largest official franchise league of its kind, with chess players from all over the world competing in a unique joint team format. It is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group, and FIDE. The league will feature male and female chess champions competing in the same team. Playing on the popular rapid format, the league’s joint male-female teams will have the rare distinction of being a unique multiplayer team in the world of professional sports. In addition, the league is a one-of-its-kind live televised chess event offering fans a unique viewing experience. Tech Mahindra and FIDE will explore innovative ways to promote the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms by leveraging next-generation technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others.
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