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Esipenko puts Ganges Grandmasters in front on Day 8

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Andrey Esipenko, far left in yellow, and Bella Khotenashvili on the adjoining table, proved to be the stars for Ganges Grandmasters. Courtesy GCL

The reason behind Ganges Grandmasters’ steady run at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League came in full display on Day 8 of the inaugural tournament when the balanced side showed depth and strength to nudge out Balan Alaskan Knights 8-7 on a day of two close matches. In a see-saw battle for the top position with SG Alpine Warriors, the win for GG on Thursday evening put the onus back on the former.

In the earlier match of the day, Triveni Continental Kings turned the tables on Chingari Gulf Titans with their first win of the tournament – by a 10-9 margin – in heartbreak timing for their rivals, who also were looking to bounce after their first triumph from two nights ago, and that was against Vishwanathan Anand’s Grandmasters.

The Grandmasters were dominating the league from the outset but then suffered two consecutive defeats, leaving them on 12 match points and in second place. The Knights started the round in the middle of the standings, on six match points. With a two-match winning streak behind them, and playing with white pieces in this match they had to push themselves further.

 

In a match where both sides held their own for a long time, the positions gradually started to look more favourably for Balan Alaskan Knights, but the team of Ganges Grandmasters were fighting back on all boards.

Anand got into a somewhat uncomfortable situation on board one against Ian Nepomniachtchi. The two-time candidate for world champion managed to create two free pawns on the queenside but then came a pawn exchange where White ended a pawn up. Still, it was even and in the end, the honours were split.

Hou Yifan and Tan Zhongyi drew their game, and so did Teimour Radjabov and Leinier Dominguez. In the duel of prodigies, Andrey Esipenko of GG gained more initiative and had a rook for a knight against Raunak Sadhwani. Esipenko created a passed pawn on the queenside. In time trouble, Sadhwani could not keep on holding and the game went to team Ganges.

However, Nodirbek Abdusattorov struck one back for the Knights in a sharp game against the usually reliable Richard Rapport. The former ended with two pawns up and secured three important points for BAK.

For the second time in the day, the outcome of the match depended on the final table left. BAK’s Nino Batsiashvili took the early initiative against her compatriot from Georgia, Bella Khotenashvili. In the end game, Khotenashvili had an extra pawn after the exchanges but both could not force the momentum to go each’s way.

 

Chingari Gulf Titans (w) vs Triveni Continental Kings (9-10)

The Titans had sparked a revival by beating the formidable Ganges Grandmasters on Tuesday. They had two quick wins on the board with Black through Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Nihal Sarin, and it looked ominous for the Kings as Alexandra Kosteniuk of Titans drew with Kateryna Lagno. And then came the fightback.

“We knew we had to go all out. We are very low on game points so there is no option but to win all our games and see how it plays out,” said the Kings’ icon player Levon Aronian, who beat his counterpart Jan-Krzyztof Duda.

Then Wei Yi brought the Kings within striking distance with his win against Daniil Dubov. After a mistake in the early stages of the middlegame by Dubov, Yi got the initiative and ended up with as many as four free pawns on the queenside, and won the game.

At 7-9, all eyes from the Kings camp fell on substitute Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. Better known as Sara Khadem, she was playing her second game of the tournament as a late replacement for Nana Dzagnidze, who had to withdraw on health grounds.

In true spirit of the team’s approach, Khadem went in for the kill in the endgame against Polina Shuvalova and forced the result in her favour. “We have been lucky that we got a good replacement such as Sara and we must take it one game at a time from here,” Aronian said.

Sara Khadem did the star turn for Triveni Continental Kings after the substitute player’s victory gave the Kings a lift off the bottom of the table. Courtesy GCL

Sports

CHESS STARS TURN COWBOYS FOR A DAY AT NORWAY CHESS GAMES 2025

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In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.

Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.

This year’s participants was -the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one.

Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly:

Magnus “The Lone GOAT” Carlsen
Caruana “The Sicilian Sniper”
Hikaru “The Blitz Bandit” Nakamura
Arjun “No Slip” Erigaisi
Wei “The Quiet Storm” Yi
Gukesh “The Chennai Sharpshooter” D

Vaishali “The Rising Rider” Rameshbabu
Anna “Ice Veins” Muzychuk
Humpy “The Hammer” Koneru
Lei “The Lockdown” Tingjie
Ju “No-Loss” Wenjun
Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)

With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead.

The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff’s memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest’s riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavor of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere.

Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.

Final Standings:

1st place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen — crowned Chess Sheriffs

2nd place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk

3rd place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu

4th place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun

5th place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie

6th place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru

About Norway Chess Games

Norway Chess Games is an annual tradition held during the tournament’s rest day. It gives the world’s best players a break from intense competition and a chance to connect in creative, unexpected ways. Previous editions have included:

  • Chess Chefs– a culinary battle where players cooked for top chefs
  • Cake Decorating Challenge– full of icing, sprinkles, and strategy
  • Farmer for a Day– featuring hand-milking cows and driving tractors
  • Design Your Own Knit Sweater– where players designed patterns later hand-knitted into real sweaters as unique keepsakes

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Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli invests in Dubai-founded World Bowling League to take the sport global

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India’s cricket superstar Virat Kohli has become an investor in the World Bowling League (WBL), a Dubai-founded initiative set to reinvent bowling as a fast-paced, global spectator sport.

Kohli joins Major League Baseball (MLB) icon Mookie Betts as a high-profile partner in the WBL, which was launched by Dubai-based entrepreneur Adi K. Mishra. The league is reimagining the traditional game with a dynamic format featuring mixed-gender teams, international tournaments, and a modern media-first approach aimed at younger audiences.

With franchises expected in Dubai and other global cities, the WBL plans to host 12 to 15 tournaments annually across the United States, Europe, and Asia, as part of its ambitious five-year growth plan.

“When I discovered Virat is also a bowler, it was exciting to align with this new-age vision for the sport,” said Mishra, founder and CEO of League Sports Co.

Kohli, one of the most followed athletes in the world on social media, revealed a long-standing personal connection to the sport.

“I started bowling when I was 11 years old,” Kohli said. “It’s clear how popular the sport is, yet it remains underappreciated as a business.”

The 36-year-old’s global influence and passion for sport are expected to significantly boost the league’s visibility and credibility as it enters its debut season. The WBL aims to position bowling not just as a recreational activity but as an engaging, competitive, and commercially viable sport with global appeal.

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Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City boss says his team will come back stronger next season

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After a difficult season that saw Manchester City fall short of their lofty standards, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has assured fans the team will bounce back in 2025 with renewed hunger and ambition.

Speaking in his annual end-of-season interview, published on the club’s website, Al Mubarak acknowledged that the recently concluded campaign was below par by City’s expectations. The team, which previously captured a historic Treble in 2022/23 and a record fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023/24, ended this season with only the Community Shield to show.

“This season is now behind us,” Al Mubarak said. “Today is a new day. We’ve already started preparing for next season – in fact, we’ve been doing that since January.”

Transfer plans in motion

With the FIFA Club World Cup in June fast approaching, Al Mubarak confirmed that City are targeting new signings this summer to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad.

“We will take all the good things and the not-so-good things from this season, learn from them, and come back stronger,” he said. 

“The club will do everything possible to return to the standards we know we can achieve.”

He also revealed that top-level discussions were already underway, with Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, CEO Ferran Soriano, manager Pep Guardiola, and Football Partnerships Director Hugo Viana all working closely on transfer strategy.

“I just got off the phone with Ferran. He spent the day with Txiki, Pep, and Hugo today. We finished our last game yesterday, and today we’re working. Nobody’s going on vacation yet,” he added.

Hunger in the squad

Despite the underwhelming season, the mood in the dressing room remains determined and focused. Al Mubarak attended City’s final game of the campaign, a 2-0 win at Fulham, and noted a strong sense of motivation among the players.

“Everyone I saw after the Fulham game was excited about coming back,” he said. 

“They’re hungry. Rodri is already looking for games. Erling [Haaland] didn’t want to go on vacation, he wanted to stay with the physios and prepare for next season. That’s the attitude you want.”

Al Mubarak’s confidence in the club’s future stems from this player-driven determination and the leadership’s proactive approach to the upcoming transfer window.

“We’re going to come back strong, with a lot of positivity,” he said. “And I can assure you – we will be back competing for the biggest prizes next season.”

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