Sports

Global Chess League: Magnus Carlsen beaten by clock; loses winning position to Alireza Firouzja

Published

7 months ago

October 6, 2024

Day two at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 2 featured a highly anticipated duel between league favorites, the Alpine Sg Pipers, and reigning champions, the Triveni Continental Kings. The Pipers, playing with the white pieces, entered the match with three points after defeating the Ganges Grandmasters on day one. Triveni, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back from a crushing 15-3 loss to the Alaskan Knights in their opening round.
This match also brought one of the most eagerly awaited face-offs of the league: world number one, Magnus Carlsen, versus Alireza Firouzja—the player Carlsen has described as the most likely to eventually take his place at the top of the rankings.
The early stages of the match were evenly balanced. About 20 minutes in—halfway through the time control (as each player had 20 minutes for their moves)—computer evaluations showed equality across the boards.
The first to break through was Richard Rapport of the Pipers, who launched a vicious attack on Teimour Radjabov, leaving him with no escape. Soon after, former Women’s World Champions Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk agreed to a draw, putting the score at 4:1 in favor of the Pipers. With the result standing at 4 – 1 for the Pipers, the other four boards went down to the wire.
After testing his opponent in the middlegame, Magnus Carlsen managed to find a weakness in Alireza Firouzja’s position, to gain the upper hand. But Firouzja wasn’t giving up – his position was lost but he had one advantage – more time on the clock. With no time increment, the pressure shifted to Carlsen. Could he convert a winning position before his time ran out? Despite his efforts, Carlsen ultimately lost on time, a rare occurrence for the Norwegian. This critical victory gave Triveni four points and the lead in the match.
Pragnanandhaa then fell to Wei Yi on board two, further strengthening Triveni’s command of the match. Shortly after, the Pipers crumbled on the remaining boards, handing Triveni a stunning 17-4 victory—the most decisive result of the season so far.

Anish Giri holds Hikaru Nakamura to a draw
Earlier in the day, PBG Alaskan Knights took on the American Gambits. Both teams had a good start to the season, winning their initial matches.
The coin toss determined that Alaskan Knights would play with white pieces.
On board one – icon players Anish Giri (Alaskan Knights) and Hikaru Nakamura (American Gambits) drew their game despite a lot of options on the board to consider. Afterwards, the two class GMs were seen passionately discussing the moves and what each was thinking during the match. When asked if they are happy with the outcome, both confirmed but Nakamura noted it was Giri’s choice to go for a draw. As the match progressed, this turned out to be a good call for Giri as his teammates secured four victories (on the youngsters board, the women’s boards and one of the superstar boards) and one more draw, for a convincing score of 14:2.
After this round, PBG Alaskan Knights emerged as the sole leaders of the tournament, with six match points, while the American Gambits remained on three. While the American Gambits finished their games for the day, one more match awaits the Alaskan Knights, and based on their strong performances in the first two rounds, the signs are promising.
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Staff Reporter

Sports

UAE renames Olympic Committee in line with global standards

Published

24 mins ago

April 23, 2025

Michael Gomes

In a recent board meeting chaired by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Olympic Committee officially approved a name change, dropping the word “National” to align with international Olympic protocols.

Announcing the decision via social media, Sheikh Mansoor said the meeting also reviewed several initiatives aimed at advancing the Olympic movement across the Emirates.

“We reviewed initiatives to advance the Olympic movement,” he said, reaffirming the Committee’s commitment to enhancing the UAE’s global sporting presence.

Preparations for two key upcoming events were also on the agenda: the World Games in Chengdu this August, and the 3rd Asian Youth Games, taking place in Bahrain in October 2025.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Sheikh Mansoor met with members of the UAE delegation who recently returned from the GCC Beach Games 2025 in Muscat. Team UAE delivered a strong performance, finishing second overall with 23 medals, including 8 golds.

“We applaud their achievements and wish all our athletes continued success in representing the UAE on the world stage,” Sheikh Mansoor said.

Lifestyle

Pro Panja UAE Cup marks league’s global debut with India-Pakistan ArmWrestling faceoff

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2025

Staff Reporter

India’s premier Arm Wrestling tournament, Pro Panja League, marked a significant milestone as it hosted its first-ever international event, Pro Panja UAE Cup, at the vibrant city of Dubai on April 19th at the India Club.

The event saw some of India’s best ArmWrestlers take on major athletes from the UAE, Kuwait and Pakistan. The matches were sanctioned by the Dubai Sports Council and were technically overseen by the Emirates Body Building and Fitness Federation.

Mr Omar Ali from the Ministry of Sports, Mr Faisal Alzabi, Head of Emirates Body Building and Fitness Federation and Mr Bharat Chachare, CEO of India Club graced the event as chief guests. Also present were Actor and Co-Founder of the Pro Panja League, Mr. Parvinn Dabass and Bollywood star and President of the People’s ArmWrestling Federation India, Mrs. Preeti Jhangiani.

In the first match, Talal Ali of Bahrain enjoyed a dominant 3-0 win over Arjun Menon of India. Next, Prasad Kanhangad of UAE beat compatriot Ramboo 3-0. India’s Umesh Kattuparambil and Asker Ali defeated Ameer Alturkumani of Kuwait and Ali Sehi of the UAE 3-0, respectively.

Lastly, in the highly anticipated clash between India’s Mazahir Saidu and Umer Awan of Pakistan, the former prevailed 3-0. After the crucial win, an elated Mazahir said, “It was an amazing experience competing in Pro Panja League’s inaugural International event. This was an important match for me because I was competing against a Pakistani ArmWrestler. India vs Pakistan is the biggest rivalry in sports and getting a win for India was truly special.”

After winning his match against Arjun Menon, Bahraini ArmWrestler Talal Ali called out Asker Ali for a match. Talal is the current Bahrain National Champion, three-time Arab Champion and the GCC Champion. Asker Ali accepted his challenge after winning his match.

After the successful event, Parvinn Dabass stated, “Couldn’t be happier with the welcome Pro Panja League has received here in Dubai. Seeing Indian ArmWrestlers compete with international stars was truly a special moment for me and I would like to thank India Club for being such a grand host and the Pro Panja UAE Cup is going to become a regular fixture on the International ArmWrestling Calendar based in the UAE.”

Preeti Jhanghiani spoke on similar lines and said, “ This event is a testament to the sport’s growing popularity and we can’t wait to bring more such international events on an even larger scale to the fans. The energy in Dubai was electric and such a reception motivates us to grow the sport even more and dream bigger.”

Sports

UAE appoints Cosmin Olăroiu as new national football team coach

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2025

Michael Gomes

The UAE Football Association (UAEFA) has officially announced that Romanian coach Cosmin Olăroiu will take over the reins of the UAE national football team. The announcement comes as the team prepares for crucial World Cup qualifiers in the coming months.

In its statement, the UAEFA confirmed that Olăroiu has signed a two-year contract to lead the team, extending through 2027. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the UAE national team, which currently holds third place in Group A of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with 13 points. Uzbekistan sits in second with 17 points, while Iran leads the group with 20 points.

Olăroiu’s primary challenge will be securing the UAE’s place in the 2026 World Cup, with two crucial matches in June. The UAE will face Uzbekistan on June 5 and Kyrgyzstan on June 10, both vital fixtures in the quest for qualification.

The Romanian coach’s appointment follows his successful stint with Sharjah FC, where he led the team to the AFC Champions League Two final, earning him recognition as the standout candidate for the national team role.

With Olăroiu now at the helm, UAE football fans will be hoping for a strong push towards securing a spot in the upcoming World Cup, making the summer qualifiers a critical period for the team’s future.

(Source:Wam)