Sports
Kings get unlikely hero in winning Global Chess League
Triveni Continental Kings emerged champions of the inaugural Global Chess League, triumphing over the upGrad Mumba Masters following a thrilling marathon finale, comprising two legs of the normal climax, a pair of tie-breakers and four Sudden Death play-offs between individual players. Not just the Kings won from the brink of exiting the tournament, the two unlikely heroes were Sara Khadem and Jonas Bjerre.
Led by Levon Aronian, one of the strongest grandmasters in the world and a replacement icon player on the eve of the tournament, the Kings showcased remarkable resilience to finish on an impressive six-match winning streak in winning the coveted title. Four wins to end the league stages saw Khadem winning three of her matches after coming in as a substitute for Nana Dzagnidze, who withdrew for health reasons.
في أول انعقاد له، #دبي تستضيف “الدوري العالمي للشطرنج”
يُقام الدوري تحت مظلة الاتحاد الدولي للشطرنج
بمشاركة 6 فرق تضم 36 من أبطال العالم
تنظمه مجموعة ماهيندرا بالتعاون مع مجلس دبي الرياضي
ويتم بث منافسات الدوري إلى 600 مليون مشاهد في 160 دولة
بما يرسخ مكانة دبي على… pic.twitter.com/Dx3QB3AJx0
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 2, 2023
After two rounds of rapid ending in a draw, and then another two rounds of blitz which also finished with draws, the champions were decided in a series of sudden-death blitz games where the decisive outcome came in the fourth game.
In a spectacular finish, Danish Grandmaster Jonas Bjerre, 19, helped Kings clinch victory after defeating Uzbek 17-year-old prodigy Javokhir Sindarov in a suspenseful game on the Prodigy category table.
Bjerre, who was one of the most inexperienced players in the tournament and lost most of his games, delivered the crucial victory to his team when it mattered. After suffering a series of four losses to Sindarov, in a drawn even endgame which the Uzbek player decided to force, Bjerre got the upper hand and won.
The clash of prodigies Jonas Bjerre, right, and Javokhir Sindarov proved to be the decider for a tight GCL final. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian are icon players for Masters and Kings respectively. Courtesy GCL
“The last game was incredibly tense. It was really exciting. I’m still shivering”, said Bjerre whose journey in this tournament can be described as going from zero to hero. “Levon (team captain) told me – just fight, take it one game at a time,” Bjerre added. The Dane helped his team secure the final and the $500,000 prize purse. The overall fund for the tournament was a stunning one million.
Hailing the win for the Kings, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, said: “You know Triveni had two pullouts and I thought to myself, ‘why does lightning have to strike twice? But they have made the Kings more powerful with the addition of Aronian and Sara Khadem.”
The addition of Khadem proved to be the lucky charm the Kings needed as they went on a four-match winning streak in the final stages of the round-robin. It was a run that inspired other teams too, including the Masters, while prising out the early leaders SG Alpine Warriors with Magnus Carlsen and the Ganges Grandmasters with Vishwanathan Anand as icon players respectively. “People were getting wistful, but the beauty of this league is that it proved having a genius in the team is no guarantee of the result,” Mahindra said.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian are icon players for Masters and Kings respectively. Courtesy GCL
Sudden Death
As fate would have it, the first board selected was number five; it was a duel between Khadem and India’s Harika Dronavalli. Both players traded advantage but the game ended in a draw. Next up was former world blitz champion Alexander Grischuk against one of the world’s strongest players, Yu Yangyi, of the Kings.
The latter managed to create a 2:1 pawn advantage in a gripping endgame. However, Grischuk managed to hold on and stave an upset. Then came his wife in the rival camp, three-time world blitz champion Kateryna Lagno and India’s strongest woman Grandmaster, Koneru Humpy. This time, Humpy had the advantage bit erred in the time scramble and let off Lagno with a draw.
When the chess prodigies were drawn, Masters’ hopes of victory went high as Javokhir Sindarov had won all four games against Bjerre. In an even endgame, Sindarov decided to decline a draw and push. In the crucial moments it backfired and Bjerre ended with the upper hand and won. As Sindarov looked in disbelief, the arena erupted with applause.
King of the series – Praggnanandhaa R (SG Alphine Warriors)
Queen of the series – Tan Zhongyi (Balan Alaskan Knights)
King of the finals – Jonas Bjerre (Triveni Continental Kings)
Queen of the finals – Kateryna Lagno (Triveni Continental Kings)
Tributes have poured in after the son of former Chelsea star Eddie Newton was found dead alongside his friend following a hike in the UAE, where temperatures soared to 50C.
Cassius Newton, 34, and his friend Aran Martinson, 33, were found by rescuers on July 18 after setting out on a hike in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region.
The pair, from Dorset and Essex respectively, both lived and worked in the UAE. Their bodies were discovered between 3km and 4km from their vehicle.
According to a report, Chelmsford area coroner Michelle Brown said their provisional causes of death included cardiac and respiratory arrest.
Cassius, a non-league footballer, was the son of former Chelsea midfielder and coach Eddie Newton, who spent more than a decade with the club.
His wife was in the UK when she became concerned after Cassius failed to contact her following the hike and reported him missing.
The two men had been living at a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah.
Tributes after desert tragedy
Tributes poured in after the deaths.
Aran’s wife described him as “incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious”, saying he had recently begun a new chapter in his career and was excited about the future.
Blackfield & Langley Football Club paid tribute to their former player, saying: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of former player Cassius Newton; our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
National League club Eastleigh, where Cassius had previously played, said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.
Chelsea connection
Cassius’ father Eddie Newton played for Chelsea from 1990 to 2001 and famously scored in the club’s 1997 FA Cup final victory.
The former midfielder also represented Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Oxford United and Barnet.
After retiring as a player, Newton moved into coaching, working as assistant manager at MK Dons and West Brom before returning to Chelsea.
He later served as assistant manager under Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benítez.
(With inputs from BBC, The Sun)
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