Sports
GG maintain stronghold halfway into Global Chess League
Ganges Grandmasters regained the lead in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League halfway point from SG Alpine Warriors at Le Meridien hotel, Dubai, on Monday.
After the first match out of the two scheduled for the day, Vishwanathan Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters beat Triveni Continental Kings 14:2 to go on top. The Grandmasters reached 12 points from five games. The Warriors had a chance to go back into the lead – in their sixth game though – but they lost to bottom table Balan Alaskan Knights.
After this match, the teams start the second phase of the round-robin, where those who have been white in the first encounter now play black, and vice versa.
Hou Yifan, right, defeated Kateryna Lagno to play a part in Ganges Grandmasters taking the top spot on Day 5. Courtesy GCL
Ganges Grandmasters vs Triveni Continental Kings
This was a day of big hope for Triveni Continental Kings. The team which features top-world players such as Levon Aronian, Yu Yangyi, and three-time women blitz champion Kateryna Lagno had high hopes ahead of the match with Ganges Grandmasters. With two victories in four matches, they needed to win to stage a rally.
The final coin toss was won by Ganges Grandmasters who, after three successive victories, suffered a defeat in the fourth round which removed them from the lead in the League. Grandmasters took the early initiative early thanks to Georgian GM Bella Khotenashvili who achieved a strong position against compatriot Nana Dzagnidze. Her win was quickly followed by Hou Yifan’s victory over Lagno. Then, on board three, Leinier Dominguez was better against China’s Wei Yi.
Birthday boy Jonas Buhl Bjerre (who turned 19 today) did a good job for the Kings holding a level position against the very strong Andrey Esipenko. But former five-time world champion Anand got the upper hand against Levon Aronian despite his best efforts to finish last of all boards. Grandmasters have four victories as white and two draws.
Loek van Wely, manager of Triveni Continental Kings was blunt after the game: “It was a crushing defeat for us. I think the rest day and the visit to the Dubai Mall, was a bit overwhelming for some of the team and they still haven’t recovered. We will seriously need to think about what to do next.”
Balan Alaskan Knights’ position did not justify their position given the team’s composition heading into a match against the Warriors. The two sides were evenly matched at the outset. Knowing they need to make a push, the Knights opted for more sharp play, avoiding lines for a draw.
On board five, Knights’ Nino Batsiashvili created a winning position against the strongest German woman player Elisabeth Paehtz and won. On board four, Tan Zhongyi had more initiative over America’s eight-time women’s champion, Irina Krush.
On board two, 2021 world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov was pressing hard against Gukesh D and managed to win. One of the top performers in the BAK team, Praggnananadhaa scored another important victory for his squad, against Raunak Sadhwani.
Ian Nepomniachtchi tries to look at signs of pressure in the demeanor of his rival Magnus Carlsen. Courtesy GCL
Some glimmer of hope for SG Alpine Warriors came with a draw on board three between Radjabov and Erigaisi. The victory for Knights depended on what Zhongyi does against Krush. Despite entering time trouble, the former women’s world champion from China managed to win against Krush. It was noticeable that Tan was shaking after the game from the excitement.
The match was already decided as the board one game was still going on. Ian Nepomniachtchi was playing against Magnus Carlsen. The two know each other well and Dubai was the home of their 2021 match for the World Championship title, which Carlsen won. Nepomniachtchi gave up a pawn early to get more initiative, however, Carlsen coordinated his pieces well and as they were moving towards the endgame he started raising the pressure on White.
Nepomniachtchi was on the back foot and gradually started to fall behind. By the end, he was lost and Carlsen scored another victory but that wasn’t enough to change the outcome of the match. The final result was 10:9 for the Knights.
Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu produced a brilliant final-round victory to win Norway Chess 2026, capping a dramatic finish to one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments.
Entering the final day half a point behind leader Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew only a win would give him a realistic chance of claiming the title. The 19-year-old delivered under pressure, defeating Vincent Keymer with the white pieces to secure the full three points and surge to first place.
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points, enough to overtake Wesley So and clinch the Norway Chess crown in Oslo.
So, who had led the standings heading into the final round, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja before winning the Armageddon tiebreak. However, the extra points were not enough to keep him ahead of the charging Indian grandmaster.
Firouzja completed a strong campaign to finish third overall.
Elsewhere, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen signed off in style with a classical victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, delighting home fans with a final-round win.
Final Standings
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 18 points
- Wesley So – 17 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 15.5 points
Assaubayeva dominates women’s event
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, Bibisara Assaubayeva completed a dominant campaign to secure the title after having already wrapped up first place with a round to spare.
The final day featured three decisive classical games, eliminating the need for Armageddon tiebreaks.
Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun handed Assaubayeva her first classical defeat of the tournament, while Zhu Jiner defeated Humpy Koneru to secure second place overall. Anna Muzychuk also ended her campaign on a high note with a victory over Divya Deshmukh to finish third.
Norway Chess women’s final standings
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 16.5 points
- Zhu Jiner – 16 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 15 points
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph marks another major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster’s rapidly rising career and further strengthens India’s growing influence at the highest level of world chess.
The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.
Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.
The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.
Assaubayeva seals women’s title
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.
Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.
Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.
After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.
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