Alpine SG Pipers upset two-time defending champions Triveni Continental Kings to be crowned champions of the third edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai on Tuesday.
A Dominant Performance in the Final
The Pipers, who secured their final berth by the slimmest of margins—edging Ganges Grandmasters by just one game point—were at their dominant best in the title clash. They won the first rapid match 4-2 with black pieces and followed it up with a 4.5-1.5 victory with white. PBG Alaskan Knights finished third after defeating Ganges Grandmasters in a tie-break.
The finale of the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 lived up to the hype, with the final day turning out to be as topsy-turvy as the league stage itself.
Triveni’s Challenge
Though Triveni Continental Kings entered the final as favorites, the Pipers, who found their form late in the league stage, had the momentum on their side. Nino Batsiashvili and Leon Luke Mendonca, on the prodigy board, once again demonstrated their importance to the team by winning their respective games. Nino triumphed over Alexandra Kosteniuk in a bishop-knight endgame, while Mendonca forced Marc’Andria Maurizzi into resignation after 52 moves.
Continental Kings star player Alireza Firouzja defeated Fabiano Caruana on the icon board, bringing his team back into contention. However, Anish Giri’s win over Wei Yi ensured that the Pipers took the first match 4-2.
Pipers’ Unstoppable Momentum
The Continental Kings faced an uphill task of scoring four points with black to stay in the match. R Praggnanandhaa handed the Pipers an early advantage by winning against Vidit Gujrathi, and then added another victory over Wei Yi, sealing the outcome. “Yesterday I had mixed feelings because I had a terrible match, but the team reached the final. But today there is no mixed feeling,” said Giri, who was named the Player of the Match for his two victories.
On the icon board, Caruana scored a full point against Alireza, who ran out of time. Firouzja, having beaten all his opponents in the first five matches, was named the Male Player of the Tournament. Hou Yifan, who played an important role in helping the Pipers reach the final with three wins in three matches during the crucial phase of the league stage, was named the Female Player of the Tournament.
“It feels great. The last two times, we were quite close to making the final. This time, we barely made it. But in the final, everyone showed up with their best game, and it is a great feeling,” said Praggnanandhaa after clinching the title.
Alaskan Knights Triumph for Third Place
Earlier, world champion Dommaraju Gukesh managed to defeat legendary Viswanathan Anand when it mattered most, helping PBG Alaskan Knights secure third place. The play-off went down to the wire, as the Ganges Grandmasters took a 4-2 lead in the first rapid clash with white pieces. However, the Alaskan Knights bounced back to level the score and took the match into a blitz tie-break.
Anand bested Gukesh in the first game of the playoff and drew the second, indicating that the former world champion held an advantage over the reigning champion in this competition.
Gukesh’s teammate Arjun Erigaisi excelled against Vicent Keymer on the second board in both rapid games and in the first blitz tie-break, keeping the match balanced.
The Alaskan Knights benefitted from this momentum, winning the first blitz tie-break 3.5-2.5, with Arjun, Kateryna Lagno, and Sara Khadem scoring full points each. Under pressure, the Ganges Grandmasters went all-out in the second tie-break with black pieces, which provided opportunities for the Alaskan Knights.
With all matches heading towards a conclusion, the Alaskan Knights led 3-2, making the outcome reliant on the game between Anand and Gukesh. This is where the reigning world champion triumphed by capitalizing on slight inaccuracies from the veteran, winning in 49 moves and securing the third-place trophy for his team.