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GCL: Carlsen scores ‘massive’ win over Anand to put Warriors in lead
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Two days after Magnus Carlsen told the media in Dubai he is still the best in the world with no one to beat him, he proved it by example in the ongoing Global Chess League.
The icon player for SG Alpine Warriors kept the pressure on leaders Ganges Grandmasters by a morale-lifting victory and a historic clash with counterpart Vishwanathan Anand at Le Meridien hotel on Wednesday. A huge turnout at Le Meridien got what they came for as Carlsen, playing with black, overturned the tables in a memorable endgame.
Ganges Grandmasters took the lead but, thanks to the unstoppable Warriors prodigy Praggnanandhaa R, the team managed to strike back in a critical moment. In what turned out to be the endgame for the history books, which saw two queens promoted by White and a knight promoted by Black, Carlsen managed to win 10-8 as Warriors displaced the Grandmasters on the leaderboard as both sides look headed to the final as well.
In the other game, Balan Alaskan Knights also scored a timely 8-5 win over upGrad Mumba Masters to inch up a spot from their fifth place at the start of the day.
Following the French defence, a sharp position developed on the board. In positional readjusting, both were pushing, creating traps for each other. With seconds on the clock, Carlsen had to calculate the complicated path to victory which saw White promoting his pawn to a queen twice. In the end, Anand thought he found a way to a stalemate but instead of promoting a queen, Carlsen took out a knight – an unusual choice by all standards – but just what was needed for victory.
“I did not know the score but, judging from what I’d seen before, I thought I had to win,” Carlsen said. “It’s looking pretty good now. It’s pretty massive, we’ve got to keep it going. We have played with five blacks in a row, won four of them. But now the mentality changes; a draw will not be enough.”
A disappointed Anand acknowledged the genius of Carlsen. “I spoiled the endgame in the end. He’s really good at this,” said the former five-time world champion from India.
Teams rise, teams fall, and the battle for supremacy takes on a whole new dimension.@SGAlpineWarrior @GangesGMs @umumba @balanalaskank @gulf_titans @trivenickings #GlobalChessLeague #GCL #TheBigMove #GCLonJioCinema
— Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 28, 2023
For a long time in the match, neither side had the upper hand. The first to make a breakthrough was Ganges’ Richard Rapport. In the Italian game, Gukesh D allowed Rapport to take more space and orchestrate an attack on the black king from which there was no escape. With another game ending in a draw – between Arjun Erigaisi and Leinier Dominguez – the Ganges Grandmasters took the lead.
The next game to finish was between Hou Yifan – the world’s top-rated woman player – who defeated the eight-time American women’s champion, Irina Krush. In a tense position, Krush made a blunder allowing White to easily mate her king.
A glimmer of hope for Warriors came from Praggnanandhaa – so far the most successful player in the tournament with six wins and a draw – who proved his value again, defeating Andrey Esipenko as Black.
As Elisabeth Paehtz ended in a drawn position with Bella Khotenashvili, everything depended on the outcome of the game between Carlsen and Anand. “This is a game for the history books. The titans of chess fighting it out until the end”, said Grandmaster Peter Svidler.
Balan Alaskan Knights v upGrad Mumba Masters (8:5)
Knights, who won the first round against the Masters 14:5, started with the advantage of playing with white. Icon player Ian Nepomniachtchi went for the Sicilian Rossolimo against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Both the Indian women’s Grandmasters, Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli, also came under opening pressure straightaway.
The Knights’ started the day in fifth position but in the individual race for the most valuable players, they had two players, Tan Zhongyi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, in good form and in the top six, just behind the Masters’ Harika Dronavalli in fourth.
By the time the dust settled on the opening moves, Humpy was in a disadvantageous position against Zhongyi although the latter had used up more time for her attack. On board one, the icon players settled for a draw, just as Teimour Radjabov and Vidit Gujrathi on the third table.
Meanwhile, a patient Humpy made calculated moves to fight back and Zhongyi also misplayed at a crucial juncture as Humpy bailed out. Dronavalli also held off the initial onslaught from Nino Batsiashvili to split the point.
All hopes rested on board six, where Knights prodigy Raunak Sadhwani pressed his advantage with white Javokhir Sindarov with the time clock also in the favour of the young 17-year-old from Nagpur. The endgame saw some nervous shaking of feet before Sadhwani enforced a win and expressed his delight by throwing his hands in the air.
In the last game to finish, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, in white, was in a tight tug of war with Alexander Grischuk for most of their clash. Abdusattorov then managed to hold fort, thus paving way for an important 8-5 win for the Knights.
Raunak Sadhwani scored an important win for Balan Alaskan Knights.
Abu Dhabi, December 20, 2024 – The Game Changers Falcons secured their second straight win in the World Tennis League Season 3, narrowly defeating the Kites 24-21 in a gripping Match 4 at Etihad Arena. With this victory, the Falcons climbed to the top of the points table with 53 points, keeping their unbeaten run alive.
The women’s doubles set saw a fierce battle, as Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini gave the Kites an early edge by breaking serve in the opening game. However, Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia of the Falcons regrouped to push the set to a tiebreak at 6-6, eventually clinching it 7-6 to give their team a narrow lead.
Rybakina continued her stellar form in the women’s singles, controlling the pace of the set against Halep. The Falcons’ star never allowed Halep to find her rhythm, closing the set 6-4 and extending the Falcons’ lead to 13-10.
The mixed doubles set paired Nick Kyrgios and Jasmine Paolini against Caroline Garcia and Denis Shapovalov. The set saw incredible rallies and thrilling moments, with Kyrgios and Paolini eventually prevailing in a tight 7-6 battle. Their win brought the Kites closer, narrowing the overall score to 17-18.
In the deciding men’s singles, Andrey Rublev delivered a composed performance against Kyrgios. After breaking Kyrgios’ serve to take a 4-2 lead, Rublev maintained control and closed the set 6-4, securing the Falcons’ 24-21 win and cementing their position at the top of the standings.
Following the match, Kyrgios expressed his excitement about the league format: “Every game counts in the World Tennis League. I love the mixed doubles format—it’s incredible to be on the same side of the net as someone like Paolini. For me, this is the perfect return, just the right amount of tennis without feeling overwhelming.”
Earlier in the day, the TSL Hawks claimed a decisive 21-14 win over the HonorFX Eagles, moving to second place on the leaderboard with 47 points.
With two action-packed days in the books, the World Tennis League continues to captivate fans at Etihad Arena.
World Tennis League Season 3: Paolini, Ruud, and Halep guide
Kites to a convincing 25-20 win over HonorFX Eagles in Match 2
~ The opening day concluded in spectacular fashion as Kites and Falcons register wins ~
Abu Dhabi, December 19, 2024: The opening day of the World Tennis
League Season 3 concluded in spectacular fashion as the Kites secured
a convincing 25-20 victory over the HonorFX Eagles in the second
match held at the iconic Etihad Arena on Thursday.
In the mixed doubles, Alexander Shevchenko and Paula Badosa
secured an early break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead for the
HonorFX Eagles. However, Jasmine Paolini and Casper Ruud, after
taking some time to find their rhythm, turned things around to win the set
6-4, putting the Kites ahead in the match.
In the men’s singles, Ruud maintained his impressive form as he cruised
to a comfortable 6-4 victory and further extended the Kites’ lead to 12-8.
Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa came out strong for the HonorFX Eagles
in a star-studded women’s doubles clash. They raced to an early 3-0
lead, narrowing the overall gap to 12-11. However, Simona Halep and
Jasmine Paolini of the Kites showcased incredible resilience, mounting
an impressive comeback as they took the set from trailing 2-5 to level
the score at 5-5. The duo built on their resurgence to clinch the set 7-5,
giving the Kites a commanding 19-13 lead in the overall match.
The final set, the women’s singles between Swiatek and Paolini, began
evenly. Paolini broke Swiatek’s serve in the sixth game to secure a 4-2
lead and held her serve to make it 5-2. Swiatek, however, responded
emphatically, winning five consecutive games to take the set and cut the
overall deficit to 20-24, pushing the match into Over Time.
In OT, Paolini held her nerve to win the decisive game, and helped Kites
start their campaign with a 25-20.
Speaking after the game, Ruud reflected, “We started well, Jasmine and
I played a good mixed doubles set, we won that 6-4, and then I played a good single set. I’m happy with my level, with my performance, and
looking forward to coming out there again tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Halep added, “Our team is super relaxed and we have good
light moments during sets. It’s a good atmosphere, but it’s a good start
for me personally.”
Earlier in the day, the Game Changers Falcons pulled off a dramatic 29-
26 comeback victory over the TSL Hawks in the season’s opening
match, thanks to Andrey Rublev’s heroics in the final set. Trailing 17-21
heading into the last set, Rublev’s win forced the match into Over Time.
He then won two consecutive games to level the overall score at 26-26,
setting the stage for the season’s first Super Shootout. Riding on his
momentum, Rublev outplayed Thompson 10-6 in the Super Shootout,
securing the bonus points for his team.
The grand opening day is set to culminate into the much-awaited concert
by legendary music icons Bryan Adams and Anastacia.
For the upcoming matches and concerts, tennis and music lovers can
book their tickets from https://www.etihadarena.ae/en/world-tennis-
league or https://abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/93107/world-
tennis-league-presents-the-greatest-show-on-court-at-etihad-arena-abu-
Nick Kyrgios Fires Back at Mahut in Explosive Tennis Comeback
Falcons and Hawks Edge Out Kites and Eagles in Day 2 battle at World Tennis League
