Bengaluru, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : The fourth season of the Global Chess League (GCL) in Bengaluru witnessed an impressive display from world number one Magnus Carlsen, who halted Javokhir Sindarov’s winning streak of three matches. Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi also made headlines by defeating Daniil Dubov in an exciting match. Their victories helped the reigning champions, Alpine APL Pipers, secure a narrow 9-7 win over the Fires American Gambits, a match crucial for both teams vying for a spot in the finals.
Carlsen, awarded ‘Player of the Match,’ maintained dominance throughout his game against Sindarov, forcing the Uzbek player to concede after 36 moves. “It was a fantastic match, and our team performed excellently. We’re very happy with the win,” Carlsen commented. He noted that he had a strong start but faced tough competition from Sindarov, ultimately managing to secure the victory. In a gesture of sportsmanship, Carlsen stated that Vidit deserved the trophy more and handed it over to him.
The game between Vidit and Dubov reached a tense ‘time scramble,’ but the Indian GM kept his composure. He capitalized on his advantage of an extra knight and pawn, clinching victory after a long battle of 96 moves, marking the Pipers’ second win against the Gambits.
Meanwhile, Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh faced challenges in her GCL debut, losing her only match against Bibisara Assaubayeva when her time ran out on the 34th move. Vidit reflected on the match, stating, “It was a tough contest. I felt I played well, and it was great to win for the team.”
In another matchup, the two-time champions, Triveni Continental Kings, overwhelmed the PBGB Alaskan Knights. Superstar women’s board player Zhu Jiner recorded her first victory of the tournament, defeating Kateryna Lagno in 44 moves. Alexandra Kosteniuk capitalized on a mistake by Nino Batsiashvili, while Pranav Venkatesh bested Abhimanyu Mishra after 42 moves on the ‘Prodigy Board.’
The Continental Kings secured 12 points with three wins while the Alaskan Knights struggled, despite victories from Arjun Erigaisi over Wei Yi and the 15-year-old Yagiz Khan Erdogmus against Arvind Chidambaram.
Leave a Comment