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Discover how World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi spearheaded Alpine APL Pipers to a decisive 9-7 victory over FYERS American Gambits, significantly boosting their Global Chess League final aspirations.
Photograph: Michal Walusza/FIDE
Key Points
- Magnus Carlsen ended Javokhir Sindarov’s three-game winning streak, securing a vital point for Alpine APL Pipers.
- Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi defeated Daniil Dubov in a 96-move rook-knight endgame, sealing the Pipers’ victory.
- Alpine APL Pipers beat FYERS American Gambits 9-7 in a crucial penultimate round match of the Global Chess League.
- The win significantly boosts Alpine APL Pipers’ chances of reaching the Global Chess League final.
- Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh faced a loss, running out of time against Bibisara Assaubayeva.
World no. 1 Magnus Carlsen ended Candidates 2026 winner Javokhir Sindarov’s three-game winning streak and Vidit Gujrathi defeated Daniil Dubov in a rook-knight endgame to help defending champions Alpine APL Pipers beat FYERS American Gambits 9-7 in the penultimate round of Global Chess League (GCL) on Friday.
Pipers and American Gambits were tied on match points and game points going into the ninth round and winning the match was important for both the teams to close in on the final berth.
Carlsen’s Dominant Performance
Carlsen, who won the Player of the Match award, was in total control throughout against Sindarov on the icon board and forced the Uzbek player to resign after 36 moves. “First of all, I think this was a great match with a very good team performance. We are thrilled to get the win. In my game, I was doing pretty well early on but he (Sindarov) put up a big fight but I was able to wriggle out and find the win,” said Carlsen, who felt Vidit deserved the man of the match trophy more than him and handed that to the Indian GM.
Gujrathi’s Marathon Victory And Other Results
The game between Vidit and Dubov on the Superstar men board went into a time scramble but the Indian GM kept his cool as he made the most of an additional knight and pawn as against his opponent’s rook to claim victory after a marathon 96-move battle and help Pipers complete a double over the Gambits. Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh’s struggles in her debut GCL continued as she ran out of time on move 34 against Bibisara Assaubayeva for the only loss for her team on Friday. “It was a very close match and when I saw the board, we were not in clear position to win. I felt that I played a good game and it was very good to win for the team,” said Vidit, who’s win over Dubov sealed the victory for his team.
In the match between two bottom placed teams, two-time champions Triveni Continental Kings proved too strong for the PBG Alaskan Knights. On the Superstar women boards, Zhu Jiner registered her first victory of the tournament beating Kateryna Lagno in 44 moves, Alexandra Kosteniuk pounced on an error from Nino Batsiashvili while Pranav Venkatesh forced Abhimanyu Mishra to resign after 42 moves on the prodigy board. With the Continental Kings picking 12 points for three victories with black pieces, Arjun Erigaisi’s win over Wei Yi and 15-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus beating Aravindh Chithambaram did not really helped Alaskan Knights chances of making it to the final.
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