Leon Luke Mendonca’s draw on the prodigy board proved more valuable than a win for Alpine SG Pipers as they qualified for the final against table-topper Triveni Continental Kings, despite losing their last league match 6-11 against PBG Alaskan Knights in Season 3 of the Global Chess League (GCL) at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai.
Final League Match Scenarios
Alpine SG Pipers had their fate in their hands during their final league game. They were tied on 15 match points with Ganges Grandmasters and needed to either defeat the Alaskan Knights or secure at least six game points to solidify their second spot on the leaderboard based on game points. Ultimately, Pipers finished with 84 game points compared to 83 for the Grandmasters, in an event jointly organized by Tech Mahindra and FIDE.
The Alaskan Knights also required a win to qualify for the third-place play-off, which they achieved impressively. World champion Dommaraju Gukesh capitalized on an error from Fabiano Caruana, while Arjun Erigaisi overcame Anish Giri with black pieces to earn eight crucial points.
Key Performances for the Pipers
For the Pipers, three-time Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan secured her third victory in as many matches, defeating Kateryna Lagno in just 20 moves. At that point, it seemed Pipers were in a strong position to advance. However, the two top Indian chess stars provided a masterclass that led to some anxious moments for the Pipers.
With Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Nino Batsiashvili drawing their matches, the Pipers’ fate hinged on Mendonca managing a draw against Daniel Darda on the prodigy board. He ensured Darda could not gain further ground, concluding the game with a draw after 42 moves, despite his opponent holding a slight advantage.
Ganges Grandmasters Update
Earlier, Ganges Grandmasters kept their hopes of reaching the final alive by defeating Fyers American Gambits 12-3 in their last league match. On the final day, Pipers, Grandmasters, and upGrad Mumba Masters were engaged in a three-way battle for the second spot, with Grandmasters being the first to take the board against American Gambits.
Grandmasters’ Strong Performance
Playing with the white pieces, Viswanathan Anand drew against American Gambits’ Hikaru Nakamura on the icon board. However, Vincent Keymer provided the team with an early boost with a victory over Vladislav Artemiev in 39 moves. Player of the Match Raunak Sadhwani triumphed against World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin in 42 moves, further solidifying their advantage. Stavroula Tsolakidou also secured a win against Teodora Injac to round off the tally, putting pressure on the other teams. However, this effort was insufficient, and they will face the Alaskan Knights for third place.
Mumba Masters Challenge
In the other match of the day, Mumba Masters faced a tough challenge from table-toppers Triveni Continental Kings. Although Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Vidit Gujrathi and Bardiya Daneshvar overcame Marc’Andria Maurizzi, which earned their team eight valuable points, Mumba Masters ultimately fell short. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave lost to Alireza Firouzja on the icon board, Wesley So was outclassed by Wei Yi, and Koneru Humpy could not match Zhu Jiner, leading to a narrow defeat of 10-9 for the local favourites.