Global Chess League 2024: Alaskan Knights enter final; Magnus Carlsen overcomes Viswanathan Anand

Alaskan Knights could face Alpine Pipers or Triveni Continental Kings in the final of Global Chess League 2024.

It was a dramatic day at Friends House in London as teams fought in the penultimate round for a place in the final of Global Chess League 2024. While much was undecided, three teams were already out of contention: upGrad Mumba Masters (last year’s runners-up), Ganges Grandmasters (third in season one), and American Gambits.

In the opening match, the Gambits, led by world number two Hikaru Nakamura, defeated Mumba Masters 10-6. Although both teams were out of the running for the finals, this victory gave the Gambits a strong chance to win the League’s fourth-place prize.

The first major match of the day saw Alpine Sg Pipers take on Ganges Grandmasters. The Pipers needed to win to edge closer to the finals. Richard Rapport defeated Parham Maghsoodloo, and Magnus Carlsen added another point with what he described as a “crazy game” against Vishy Anand. Off the board, some light drama unfolded when Kateryna Lagno asked Carlsen and Anand to quiet down during their post-game chat, prompting Carlsen to gesture “zipping” his mouth.

Lagno then secured a win, followed by Hou Yifan, bringing the score to 13-1. Though Ganges’ Volodar Murzin won the final prodigy game, it was too late to change the outcome. The Pipers ended the day in second place with 18 match points, positioning them well for the finals.

Also Read: Global Chess League 2024: Koneru Humpy leads Mumba Masters to emphatic win against Alaskan Knights

In the final match, Triveni Continental Kings faced a difficult challenge against the tournament leaders, PBG Alaskan Knights. Despite being three match points ahead, PBG needed a win to confirm their finals spot, and they delivered. Anish Giri defeated Alireza Firouzja, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov outplayed Wei Yi. Teimour Radjabov won against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov to give Triveni some hope, but losses on the women’s boards sealed their fate.

Despite Javokhir Sindarov’s win on the prodigy board, PBG won 12-8, ensuring their place in the finals. Triveni must now face Sg Pipers in a direct showdown for the remaining finals spot.

Friday will be the last and decisive day for the finals as all teams play their final round before the top two move on to the finals. While PBG Alaskan Knights are already secure, all eyes will be on the clash between Triveni Continental Kings and SG Pipers, where the winner will claim the second spot in the finals.

Alpine SG Pipers vs Ganges Grandmasters: A dominating victory for the Pipers as Carlsen and Anand told off by Lagno

The match provided excitement both on and off the board. The first to strike was SG Pipers’ Richard Rapport, who completely dismantled Parham Maghsoodloo’s position for a commanding win. After the loss, Maghsoodloo appeared stunned, sitting motionless in his chair, staring aimlessly across the venue. Meanwhile, Indian compatriots Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi drew their game, parting with smiles and laughter.

But this match was no laughing matter for SG Pipers who needed to win. Ganges suffered another setback soon after when Vishy Anand lost to Magnus Carlsen in what the Norwegian described as “a crazy game,” where he was simultaneously purshing a pawn towards promotion and a trying to checkmate Anand. With checkmate just one move away, Anand resigned. Carlsen’s victory earned him the Player of the Match award, along with a chess set presented by Stephen Lowe, Director of the British Chess Magazine—the world’s oldest chess journal.

What followed was equally notable. As Anand and Carlsen casually discussed the game, while other matches were still ongoing, Magnus’ teammate Kateryna Lagno, playing against Nurgyul Salimova, turned to the former world champions and asked them to be quiet. Carlsen quickly raised his hand in apology and mimed zipping his mouth, while Anand, less affected, continued talking for a few more seconds. Both players eventually left the board to check other games before exiting the arena.

By then, SG Pipers were leading 7-1, with drama building on the remaining three boards. After silencing Carlsen and Anand, Lagno confidently finished her game, extending the Pipers’ lead to 10-1 and securing the match. Hou Yifan followed suit by defeating Vaishali, pushing the score to 13-1.

The final game was on the prodigy board, where both sides traded advantages in time trouble. Ultimately, Ganges’ Volodar Murzin emerged victorious, claiming a consolation win for his team.

With this decisive victory, Alpine SG Pipers reached 18 match points, putting them in prime position for the final remaining spot in the finals.

Triveni Continental Kings vs PBG Alaskan Knights: Knights dominate the Kings

In the final match of the day, Triveni faced a tough challenge—playing as Black, they needed to defeat tournament leaders PBG Alaskan Knights to secure a spot in the finals. Despite being three match points ahead of the field, PBG also needed a win to fully guarantee their place in the finals—and they did just that. The match went entirely in their favor, with PBG’s top two boards delivering stellar performances.

Giri dealt a crushing blow to Triveni’s Alireza Firouzja, despite the Iranian-born Frenchman being one of the best-performing players this season. Giri sacrificed an exchange to gain the initiative, and in a tense endgame, Firouzja blundered, leaving him completely lost.

PBG’s board two, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, also played an excellent game. He dominated Wei Yi with relentless energy, leaving the skilful Chinese player unable to escape the pressure on his king, ultimately resulting in a loss.

Triveni’s Teimour Radjabov struck back on board three, defeating his fellow Azeri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, avenging his earlier loss to him in the league. However, Triveni faltered on both women’s boards, with Kosteniuk losing in dramatic time trouble and Gunina struggling for most of her game.

Though Triveni secured a win on the prodigy board, where Sindarov defeated Sarin, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. The final score was 12-8 in favor of PBG, securing their place in the finals, while Triveni now faces a direct duel with SG Pipers for the second finals spot.

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