IMAGE: Anish Giri blundered a piece against Magnus Carlsen, losing in just 22 moves. Photograph: Global Chess League
PBG Alaskan Knights edged Alpine SG Pipers 9–7 score to continue their unbeaten run at the Global Chess League in London.
Alaskan Knights have won all their five encounters after 15 matches — the halfway stage of the tournament.
Despite the team’s top player, Anish Giri losing to Magnus Carlsen, the Alaskan Knights came out on top garnering 58 game points.
Giri blundered a piece against Alpine SG Pipers’ Carlsen, losing in just 22 moves. This was the shortest game of the league so far, lasting only 20 minutes.
On the superstars’ board, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov drew with Richard Rapport, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov delivered a crushing victory over Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a rook endgame, scoring a first win for PBG Alaskan Knights.
The momentum shifted further in favour of the Alaskan Knights when Tan Zhongyi, in a duel of former World champions, defeated Hou Yifan, currently the top-rated woman player. Alina Kashlinskaya and Kateryna Lagno drew on the women’s board, bringing the score to 8-6 for PBG.
The drama escalated on the final board in play, where PBG’s Nihal Sarin was completely winning against Daniel Dardha but faced severe time pressure. With just three seconds left, Sarin claimed a draw under the rules. Had he not done so and Dardha won on time, the Alaskan Knights would have secured the match win.
Defending champions Triveni Continental Kings climbed to second place after defeating the upGrad Mumba Masters.
Continental Kings’ icon, Alireza Firouzja, continued his winning streak by defeating France’s top-rated player, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Though just three game points behind the leaders, Triveni Continental Kings has recorded three wins and two losses, earning nine match points and 55 game points.
Meanwhile, the upGrad Mumba Masters sit in the fifth place with only three match points.
An epic encounter between Carlsen and Nakamura highlighted the final match of the day between the Alpine SG Pipers and the American Gambits.
Both the players traded winning positions in a time scramble, and the duel ultimately ended in a draw.
The match came down to the youth board, where Daniel Darda defeated Jonas Bjerre, securing a narrow 9–7 victory for the Alpine SG Pipers, which placed them in third place with nine match points and 43 game points.
With one win and one loss in Sunday’s matches, the American Gambits hold fourth place with six match points and 33 game points.
At the bottom of the standings, the Ganges Grandmasters continue to struggle, having lost their match on Sunday against American Gambits.
Former World champion Vishwanathan Anand lost to World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura after sacrificing a queen for a drawing fortress, only to lose on time.
