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Global Chess League: five teams in final race after leaders falter

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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.

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.

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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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