Global Chess League Season 3 Day 2: Mumba and Triveni take early lead
Day 2 of Global Chess League Season 3 ended with only two teams maintaining a perfect record. Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters emerged as the early leaders. The highlight of the day was Triveni’s crushing 15–3 victory over PBG Alaskan Knights.
After Day 1, three teams were on full match points: Triveni, upGrad Mumba Masters, and Fyers American Gambits. Alpine SG Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, and PBG Alaskan Knights were under pressure to bounce back. Once again, the Royal Opera House in Mumbai witnessed intense battles, heavy time trouble, and dramatic finishes on every board.
upGrad Mumba Masters edged past Fyers American Gambits with a narrow 9–7 win. Ganges Grandmasters earned their first victory of the season by defeating Alpine SG Pipers 13–7. Fyers remained on three match points, while Alpine and PBG continued their search for a first win.
Match 4: Fyers American Gambits vs upGrad Mumba Masters (7–9)
The day opened with a clash between two unbeaten teams. Fyers had won on Day 1 thanks to Teodora Injac’s crucial victory. upGrad Mumba Masters had looked unstoppable, crushing Ganges 17–4.
After the coin toss, Fyers chose White. The match began quietly, with balanced positions across the boards. The first result came when Wesley So and Vladislav Artemiev drew their Italian Game on the second Superstar board.
The turning point followed on the top board. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov outplayed Richard Rapport in a complex middlegame and smoothly converted his advantage. upGrad picked up three key game points.
Seeing this, Hikaru Nakamura knew he had to push for a win with Black against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The pressure increased further when Daneshvar Bardiya defeated World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin on the prodigy board.
Nakamura kept fighting and was rewarded when Vachier-Lagrave made a costly error in time trouble. Nakamura seized the chance, won material, and brought Fyers back into the match.
The women’s boards decided the final outcome. Bibisara Assaubayeva and Humpy Koneru drew after accurate defense. Harika Dronavalli pressed Teodora Injac, but Injac held firm for another draw.
upGrad Mumba Masters won the match 9–7 and collected three more match points. They remained perfect after two days, while Fyers stayed on three match points.
Match 5: Alpine SG Pipers vs Ganges Grandmasters (7–13)
Both teams entered this match desperate for a result. Alpine had narrowly lost to Triveni, while Ganges suffered a heavy defeat on Day 1.
Anish Giri gave Alpine early hope by outplaying Vincent Keymer. However, severe time trouble forced Giri to settle for a draw despite reaching a winning position.
On the Icon board, Fabiano Caruana punished a mistake by Viswanathan Anand and won convincingly. This gave Alpine their first win of the match and stunned the crowd.
Ganges struck back strongly. Raunak Sadhwani delivered a confident performance against Leon Luke Mendonca, scoring a vital four-point win. Soon after, Polina Shuvalova launched a powerful attack to defeat Hou Yifan, adding more points for Ganges.
Alpine responded through Nino Batsiashvili, who defeated Stavroula Tsolakidou and kept her team in contention.
Everything came down to the final board. Praggnanandhaa R took big risks against Javokhir Sindarov but made a decisive mistake under pressure. Sindarov converted the advantage and sealed the match.
Ganges Grandmasters won 13–7, bouncing back strongly after their tough start. Alpine SG Pipers were left still searching for their first victory.
Match 6: PBG Alaskan Knights vs Triveni Continental Kings (3–15)
This was the most anticipated match of the day. These two teams had met in the Season 2 final, which Triveni won. PBG were eager to strike back, while Triveni aimed to confirm their dominance.
The match remained tense midway, with unclear positions on all boards. Leinier Dominguez pressed Vidit Gujrathi on the top board, but time pressure influenced his decision-making.
Trouble struck PBG on the Icon board, where Alireza Firouzja launched a devastating attack against World Champion Gukesh. Firouzja’s pressure proved too strong to resist.
Triveni took control when Zhu Jiner defeated Kateryna Lagno on the women’s board. Draws on other boards pushed the score further in Triveni’s favour. With the match already decided, Marc’Andria Maurizzi converted a late blunder by Daniel Dardha on the prodigy board.
Triveni Continental Kings completed a dominant 15–3 victory. With two wins from two matches, they remained firmly on course to defend their title. PBG Alaskan Knights were still without a win and needed a quick recovery.
About Global Chess League
The Global Chess League is the world’s first official franchise-based chess league. It features joint male and female teams competing together in a rapid format. The league is a partnership between Tech Mahindra and FIDE and offers a unique, live televised chess experience using modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Photos: Global Chess League, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
