GCL: upGrad Mumba Masters make it two on the trot; Ganges Grandmasters stun Pipers for maiden win

MUMBAI: With two wins from their first two matches, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave-led upGrad Mumba Masters went top of the Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE, on Monday. The Masters defeated Fyers American Gambits 9-7, before Ganges Grandmasters mounted a stunning comeback to beat Alpine SG Pipers 13-7 with Black for their first win of Season 3, according to a press release.

Matchday 2 action kicked off at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai, where “hosts” upGrad Mumba Masters edged past Fyers American Gambits in a tightly contested tie, with resilience across the boards proving decisive. Under early pressure, Masters steadied themselves as Wesley So held Vladislav Artemiev to a draw, followed by Koneru Humpy mounting a strong comeback to also split the point, keeping the scores level at 2-2. The momentum swung sharply when Shakhriyar Mamedyarov outplayed Richard Rapport on board three, patiently building a dominant position to give Masters a 5-2 lead in a crucial spell.

The tie turned decisively when Bardiya Daneshvar stunned reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin, sealing the win for Masters. Though Teodora Injac drew with Harika Dronavalli and Hikaru Nakamura struck back with a composed Black win over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave using the Petrov Defence, the damage was done as Mumba closed out a 9-7 victory. Mamedyarov was named Player of the Match, saying, “It was an amazing game, with sacrifices. A very good win for the team, and I hope to continue playing like this. Winning even one match feels great, so to win two in a row makes it very special.”

Later, Alpine SG Pipers and Ganges Grandmasters entered the tie searching for a first win, with the marquee icon clash between Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand setting the tone. Caruana delivered under pressure, pressing relentlessly to secure a vital win and put the Pipers 3-0 up. Around the hall, marquee battles unfolded as Anish Giri was held to a hard-fought draw by Vincent Keymer despite sustained pressure from the Dutchman.

Meanwhile, the fan zone buzzed with excitement as GM Daniil Dubov entertained spectators with a simultaneous exhibition.The tie turned in dramatic fashion within minutes. While Nino Batsiashvili added to Pipers’ tally by defeating Stavroula Tsolakidou-her second win already of the season-the Grandmasters struck back decisively as Raunak Sadhwani, Javokhir Sindarov and Polina Shuvalova delivered crucial wins. Shuvalova capped the surge by using her rooks to mate Hou Yifan, completing a stunning turnaround as Ganges claimed a 13-7 victory. Raunak, who recovered from blundering on Matchday 1 with the Player of the Match honour. He said, “I was confident today. I played faster, put pressure on the board and the clock. I’m very happy the team won, that’s what matters in the end.”

PBG Alaskan Knights played defending champions Triveni Continental Kings in the day’s final tie.

Action continues on Matchday 3 as Ganges Grandmasters face PBG Alaskan Knights, Triveni Continental Kings Pipers take on Fyers American Gambits, and upGrad Mumba Masters meet Alpine SG Pipers. (ANI)