Sports
Global Chess League: five teams in final race after leaders falter
Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi (left, in white) watches Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian, right, clash at the icon player table. Courtesy GCL
Day nine of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League proved to be a roller-coaster ride for the participating teams, with five out of six teams now within a chance to move into the top two and contest the final. Making a big move were Triveni Continental Kings while Balan Alaskan Knights being the only ones heading out of the exit door in the exciting inaugural edition of the tournament.
Kings had to play two matches on the day – against SG Alpine Warriors and Balan Alaskan Knights – and they won both, with Levon Aronian of Armenia showing the way. The icon player proved to be a giant-killer as he defeated the world’s best player Magnus Carlsen of Warriors and two-time world candidate Ian Nepomniachtchi.
On the other hand, upGrad Mumba Masters, after losing their first game to Chingari Gulf Titans, upset the applecart of Ganges Grandmasters. The latter and Warriors looked set and headed to the final past the halfway mark. Vishwanathan Anand’s team were in pole position to capitalise on Warriors’ defeat to the Kings but the Masters outclassed them 10-4.
The famous Indian tennis player, Mahesh Bhupathi, a long-time friend of Anand, visited the event and made a ceremonial move in the match between Warriors and Kings.
Chingari Gulf Titans vs upGrad Mumba Masters (12:3)
The upGrad Mumba Masters were the slight favorites. The team led by Maxime-Vachier Lagrave was always around the top but slipped in the final days. Chingari Gulf Titans were on the bottom of the board and went all out using the advantage of white pieces.
The Titans’ Vidit Gujrathi made a blunder giving a dominant position to Daniil Dubov, who soon converted this into a victory in just 23 moves. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Alexander Grischuk drew their game. More bad news followed for team Mumba as Alexandra Kosteniuk and Polina Shuvalova defeated their opponents. With a final tally of 12:3, Titans staged a huge upset and opening up the mid-table field.
SG Alpine Warriors vs Triveni Continental Kings (8:10)
Kings, who were on the brink of exit before Thursday, started with black pieces against one of the top teams in the league with the formidable Magnus Carlsen in charge. In their second head-to-head clash, Carlsen again lost to Aronian. After opening with the unusual move 1.b3, Carlsen gained more special initiative but in a relatively stable position made a blunder leading directly into a defeat. He laughed it off but was clearly unhappy.
A reflective @LevAronian discusses his win against Magnus Carlsen with his teammates@trivenickings #TCKvSG #GlobalChessLeague #GCL #TheBigMove #TheFinalWeekend #GCLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/MfkNTdq7pF
— Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 30, 2023
Warriors’ Gukesh D managed to take the initiative against Yu Yangyi. The Chinese Grandmaster found himself in a lot of trouble trying to fend off checkmate. Despite avoiding a mate, his position was lost and he resigned. Kings quickly hit back with a victory on board three where Wei Yi outplayed Arjun Erigaisi in a queen and rook endgame.
In a duel between Praggnanandhaa R and Jonas Bjerre, the talented player from India managed to win what was a completely lost position. After misplaying in the middlegame, Praggnanandhaa defended the best he could. In a queen and rook endgame, he managed to take over the advantage and win. With seven wins and two draws, Praggnanandhaa is continuing his amazing performance in the league. Elisabeth Paehtz and Sara Khadem made a relatively quick draw in 36 moves, as did Irina Krush and Kateryna Lagno.
upGrad Mumba Masters vs Ganges Grandmasters (10:4)
With Warriors losing, it was Ganges Grandmasters chance to seize the opportunity. Instead it was the upGrad Mumba Masters and the first to blink was GG’s hero from the previous round – Andrey Esipenko. He allowed Javokhir Sindarov in Black to get into a better position, undermined the threats from the two bishops pinning his king and in the end overlooked checkmate.
Although a pawn up, former world champion Anand knew that the position in his game is drawn and there was no need to push it against the likes of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave so the two decided to call it a day. The match saw a huge upset on board four as former women’s world champion Hou Yifan went for a combination which completely overlooked the threat of checkmate from Koneru Humpy.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave tries to focus on his move against Vishwanathan Anand. Courtesy GCL
Triveni Continental Kings vs Balan Alaskan Knights (10:9)
With other teams showing the way, the final contest of the day also saw a spirited challenge mounted by Balan Alaskan Knights and the job was not yet done for the Kings.
With just three victories and five defeats, the team of Balan Alaskan Knights also needed to win. Kings’ late substitute entrant Khadem defeated Nino Bastiashvili, after she overlooked a piece in an even endgame. Tan Zhongyi then levelled for the Knights when Lagno chose the wrong continuation from an even position and eventually lost.
The sharpest game of the match was played between Teimour Radjabov and Wei Yi. At one point, Kings’ Wei forced too much and blundered, but in time trouble Radjabov misplayed and went down.
Then came the winning stroke from Aronian as he defeated the two-time candidate for world champion, Nepomniachtchi. In the endgame, the latter lost a pawn and his position weakened in a knight for a rook exchange and completely lost. The Knights reduced the margin when Raunak Sadhwani beat Jonas Buhl Bjerre.
Events
Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa lead 24 chess stars at $650,000 Total Chess Tournament in Budapest
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen headlines a star-studded field of 24 elite players assembling in Budapest for the inaugural Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot, a landmark tournament designed to introduce a new format to professional chess.
With a total prize fund of $650,000, the competition will bring together some of the biggest names in international chess to test their skills across Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz formats.
Carlsen, widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time, arrived in the Hungarian capital late Monday evening. The Norwegian superstar has maintained the world No. 1 position for 15 consecutive years, making his participation one of the major highlights of the tournament.
The Budapest Pilot marks an important step in the development of the Total Chess World Championship Tour, which aims to redefine elite chess through a combination of competitive innovation, global broadcasting and enhanced fan engagement.
Magnus Carlsen headlines 24-player chess field
The tournament features an exceptional lineup of international grandmasters, established champions and emerging chess talents, including two leading female players.
According to the recent FIDE standard ratings provided by the organisers, the confirmed participants include:
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – World No. 1
- Fabiano Caruana (United States) – World No. 3
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – World No. 5
- Wesley So (United States) – World No. 6
- R Praggnanandhaa (India) – World No. 7
- Vincent Keymer (Germany) – World No. 9
- Alireza Firouzja (France) – World No. 10
- Anish Giri (Netherlands) – World No. 11
- Arjun Erigaisi (India) – World No. 12
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) – World No. 13
- Liem Le (Vietnam) – World No. 16
- Levon Aronian (United States) – World No. 20
- Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) – World No. 22
- Richard Rapport (Hungary) – World No. 23
- Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) – World No. 24
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) – World No. 27
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) – World No. 28
- Hans Moke Niemann (United States) – World No. 32
- Haik M. Martirosyan (Armenia) – World No. 48
- Vladislav Artemiev (FIDE) – World No. 66
- Abhimanyu Mishra (United States) – World No. 76
- Andrew Hong (United States) – World No. 134
- Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) – Women’s World No. 7
- Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) – Women’s World No. 24
India will have a strong presence in Budapest, with R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vaishali Rameshbabu representing the country’s growing influence in international chess.
The participation of established stars and emerging talents makes the tournament one of the notable gatherings in the international chess calendar.
New championship format
Beyond the prize money and star power, the Budapest Pilot is designed to test a new competitive format that identifies the most complete chess player across three major disciplines: Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz.
The organisers aim to create a more dynamic and engaging championship by combining different time controls into a single competition.
The initiative also seeks to modernise how professional chess is presented and consumed, bringing fans closer to the players, their strategies and the drama unfolding during matches.
How the tour format works
The pilot tournament will feature 24 players divided into four groups of six competitors.
Group stage
Each group will follow a double round-robin format over five days, with every player competing in 10 Fast Classical games.
The time control will be 45 minutes per player with a 30-second increment per move.
The scoring system awards:
- Three points for a win.
- One point for a draw.
- Zero points for a loss.
A nine-round Blitz Swiss tournament conducted before the main competition will determine the tie-break rankings.
Knockout stage
Following the group stage, players will advance into knockout brackets according to their finishing positions.
Each knockout match will take place over two days and feature three chess disciplines:
- Four Blitz games with a 3+2 time control.
- Two Rapid games with a 15+10 time control.
- One Fast Classical game with a 45+30 time control.
The scoring system uses weighted points to reward performance across the different formats, with greater emphasis on longer time controls.
If a knockout match remains tied, an Armageddon game will determine the winner.
Road to Grand Final
The four highest-ranked players across the Tour will qualify for the Grand Final.
The final stage will feature semifinals and a championship match to determine the inaugural FIDE World Combined Champion.
The format is designed to reward consistency, versatility and excellence across all three disciplines rather than performance in just one time control.
Global broadcast partnerships
The Budapest Pilot is also aiming to reach a worldwide audience through an extensive network of international television and digital broadcasting partners.
DAZN will serve as the global broadcast partner, while India’s NDTV will bring the tournament to Indian audiences through its television network and digital platforms, including YouTube.
Additional coverage will be available through Chess.com, ChessBase India, Norway’s TV 2 and the Norway Chess YouTube channel.
The enhanced broadcast experience will feature professional production, expert commentary, live insights and detailed post-match studio analysis.
According to the organisers, the tournament’s distribution network is expected to make the competition accessible across more than 200 countries and territories.
New chapter for professional chess
With 24 elite players, a $650,000 prize fund and an innovative multi-format competition structure, the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot represents an ambitious attempt to reshape the future of professional chess.
The tournament brings together some of the world’s strongest players while exploring new ways to improve the competitive experience and expand the sport’s global appeal.
For Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and the other participants, Budapest offers an opportunity to compete for the inaugural title while becoming part of a new chapter in chess history.
The bigger question is whether the combination of Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz can establish a new standard for elite chess competitions.
Twenty-four elite players. Three chess disciplines. $650,000 in prize money. The journey towards a new world championship begins in Budapest.
Total Chess is a global championship platform developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, with the objective of redefining elite competitive chess through a unified championship format.
