Global Chess League 2025 Day 1: Defending Champions Triveni Begin Season Three with a Win
The third season of the Global Chess League 2025 started with a grand opening at Mumbai’s iconic Royal Opera House. The venue was packed, and the excitement was high as three thrilling matches set the tone for the season.
The defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, began their title defense with a hard-earned victory. The home team, upGrad Mumbai Masters, delivered a dominant performance against the young Ganges Grandmasters. In the final match of the night, Fyers American Gambits edged past PBG Alaskan Knights in a close contest decided by just one game.
Day 1 showed that no match would be easy. Most games went deep into time trouble, and decisive results were rare. The champions looked sharp, underdogs proved dangerous, and three teams finished the day with perfect match scores.
Match 1: Triveni Continental Kings vs Alpine SG Pipers (9–7)
Season three opened with a blockbuster clash between Triveni Continental Kings and Alpine SG Pipers. Triveni entered as strong favorites after winning the first two seasons. Led by captain Loek van Wely, they fielded a star-studded lineup including Alireza Firouzja, Wei Yi, and Vidit Gujrathi.
Early in the match, Triveni appeared comfortable. Wei Yi gained a promising position, while other boards stayed balanced. The momentum shifted when Alexandra Kosteniuk ran into severe time trouble and lost to Nino Batsiashvili, giving Alpine the first win of the new season.
Triveni responded immediately. On the top board, Fabiano Caruana made a costly error, and Alireza Firouzja punished it with a brilliant attack to level the match.
Wei Yi then outplayed Anish Giri with calm precision and put Triveni ahead. The Indian derby between Vidit Gujrathi and R Praggnanandhaa ended in a tense draw. The women’s game between Zhu Jiner and Hou Yifan also finished peacefully.
On the prodigy board, Marc’Andria Maurizzi secured a safe draw, which was enough for the team win. Triveni won the match with nine game points and collected their first three match points of the season.
Match 2: Ganges Grandmasters vs upGrad Mumbai Masters (4–17)
The second match saw youth take on experience. Ganges Grandmasters faced the home favorites upGrad Mumbai Masters, backed by a loud Mumbai crowd.
The match began evenly, but trouble soon appeared for Ganges. On the Icon board, Viswanathan Anand came under pressure from Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The turning point came when Raunak Sadhwani blundered a piece on the prodigy board and resigned immediately, handing upGrad a big lead.
Ganges still had chances. Vincent Keymer pressed against Wesley So, and Javokhir Sindarov reached a strong position against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. However, upGrad struck again when Anand lost on the top board, pushing the match firmly in their favor.
Keymer tried to save the situation but missed his chance in time trouble. Ganges finally scored through Polina Shuvalova, who defeated Humpy Koneru. Stavroula Tsolakidou added another win, but it was too late.
The final score was a commanding 17–4 in game points for upGrad Mumbai Masters. The home team claimed all three match points with a convincing start.
Match 3: PBG Alaskan Knights vs Fyers American Gambits (5–8)
The final match of the night featured World Champion Gukesh D leading PBG Alaskan Knights against Hikaru Nakamura’s Fyers American Gambits.
All eyes were on the Icon board. Gukesh, playing Black, pushed hard against Nakamura and played confidently in the opening. However, the first breakthrough came on the women’s board, where Teodora Injac defeated Sara Khadem to give the Gambits an early lead.
Several draws followed, including Arjun Erigaisi vs Vladislav Artemiev and Kateryna Lagno vs Bibisara Assaubayeva. With clocks ticking low across the hall, tension filled the arena.
Nakamura managed to hold Gukesh to a draw despite time pressure. On the final board, Leinier Dominguez needed a win against Richard Rapport, but Rapport’s creativity held firm, and the game ended in a draw.
Thanks to Injac’s victory, Fyers American Gambits secured the match with eight game points and earned three match points. PBG Alaskan Knights finished the day without a match win.
A Strong Start to GCL 2025
Day 1 of the Global Chess League 2025 delivered drama, elite-level play, and unforgettable moments. With champions winning, home teams dominating, and close battles everywhere, the season has begun with high intensity and excitement.
Photos: Global Chess League
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
