Bengaluru, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The fourth season of the Global Chess League (GCL) kicked off in Bengaluru on September 5, 2026. Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers began their campaign with a narrow 10-8 victory over the Mumba Masters in a thrilling match.
In a surprising turn, two-time champions Triveni Continental Kings faced defeat in their opening match against Gangas Grandmasters, who edged them out with a score of 10-9. Meanwhile, the Fairs American Gambits showcased an impressive performance, defeating the PBG Alaskan Knights 10-4.
Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked player, returned to the Pipers’ lineup after a year-long break. All eyes were on how the reigning champions would fare against the formidable Mumba Masters. The Pipers faced early pressure when M. Pranesh of the Mumba Masters defeated superstar Anish Giri on the men’s board. However, the match turned when Vidit Gujrathi, named ‘Player of the Match,’ made a comeback for his team by defeating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with strong positional play.
Veteran Koneru Humpy followed suit, securing a victory over Carissa Yip, which put the Pipers in a strong position. Despite D. Harika suffering a heartbreaking loss to Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, the match score was tied. Carlsen played solidly against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave on the icon board, ensuring a winning start for his team.
Earlier, the Triveni Continental Kings, who won the toss, opted to play with the black pieces against Gangas Grandmasters, making their match one of the day’s highlights with five of the six games resulting in results. Veteran Levon Aronian gave the Grandmasters a strong start by defeating Wei Yi in just 29 moves. ‘Player of the Match’ Polina Shuvalova and Stavroula Tsolakidou increased their team’s lead with victories on the women’s superstar board.
Shuvalova defeated Zhu Jiner in 70 moves, while Tsolakidou overcame former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in 59 moves. However, Linier Dominguez Perez lost to Arvind Chidambaram due to time constraints, despite both players appearing evenly matched at that moment.
Following this, V. Pranav of the Continental Kings forced Gangas Grandmasters’ Leon Luke Mendonca to resign after 40 moves, narrowing the score gap to just one. According to the rules, a win with black pieces earns a team four game points, while a victory with white pieces grants three.
In the day’s opening match, Candidates 2026 champion GM Javokhir Sindarov delivered a stellar performance, defeating GM Viswanathan Anand in 57 moves, giving the Fairs American Gambits an early lead over PBG Alaskan Knights.
GM Arjun Erigaisi of the PBG Alaskan Knights had some chances with the black pieces but failed to penetrate GM Nihal Sarin’s defense. With all other superstar male and female board matches ending in draws, the PBG Alaskan Knights hoped for a win from Abhimanyu Mishra on the ‘Prodigy Board’ against Mark-Andria Maurizi.
Unfortunately, the debuting Mishra lost after 81 moves, as Maurizi gained a clear advantage in the king-pawn ending. Sindarov was awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for his victory and expressed satisfaction with his team’s start. “I was also keeping an eye on the matches on the other boards, and I felt my game was heading towards a draw. However, I sacrificed a pawn in the endgame and realized I could win,” he stated.
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