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Masters and Grandmasters take opening wins at Global Chess League

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upGrad Mumbai Masters pose a happy picture after winning against Triveni Continental Kings. Tech Mahindra

UpGrad Mumba Masters and Ganges Grandmasters came out winners from the two matches on the opening day of the inaugural Tech Mahindra Global Chess League in Dubai. The day’s proceedings at Le Meridien hotel marked a historic chapter as the league aims to revolutionise the game of chess with the winning move.

The first teams to face each other were the Triveni Continental Kings, with white, against upGrad Mumba Masters. Kings won the toss to start with the white advantage. Led by Levon Aronian – a last-minute replacement for world champion Ding Liren – the Triveni Continental Kings played a steady match. Despite the initiative of the first move, the Kings failed to capitalise on their advantage.

In a slightly better position and with more time, Aronian made “a big blunder” and allowed Vachier-Lagrave to equalise and bring the game to a draw. The team faced another setback when Chinese Grandmaster Yu Yangyi suffered a defeat at the hands of Russian heavyweight Alexander Grischuk, giving Masters an important advantage as a victory with black pieces counts as four points. Despite Yu’s compatriot Wie Yi scoring a victory against India’s Vidit Gujrathi and earning three points, the Kings were still a point short.

Unfortunately for them, all three other games ended in a draw. This meant that the final score saw Masters secure eight points while the Kings ended on seven thus losing the match. Apart from the eight points achieved in their games, the winning team is awarded another three points for winning the match.

“This event is unusual for us as we are in a team with players we know well, but with whom we have never actually been playing as team members, and, also, this event features a completely new concept,” both Levon and Maxime noted.

“I feel a lot of responsibility. You are familiar with these players but usually as opponents, not as members of the same team. Also, as the leading player in the team I feel I have to motivate others”, said Aronian.

Vachier-Lagrave  said: “In our team Sasha Grischuk [one of the most experienced top players in the Global Chess League] made us all feel inspired. He showed us motivation and that is what is needed when in a new surrounding, playing a new event”, said Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Grandmasters grab bonus win

The Ganges Grandmasters made the most of their toss win with seasoned players, such as five-times world champion Vishwanathan Anand and former women’s world champion Hou Yifan.

 Anand defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the former winner of the World Cup. Yifan was the second to score, defeating another former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in a thrilling game. Those two victories were the only decisive games of the match as the other four ended in a draw. The Grandmasters took 10 points, while the Titans ended on four.

Anand was clearly happy after the match and excited about the prospects of the Global Chess League.  “My team started well and that’s great. We are in unchartered waters here. This is a new vibe for chess. We all came here curious to see what will happen and how this will play out and so far it is proving to be exciting and promises a lot.”

Wide audience

Viewers from across the world tuned in to a broadcast to follow the games live on TV. In a first for chess – the game was broadcast live to sports networks on both sides of the Atlantic, from America to Australia.

For the first time ever, chess is employing a well-established football practice of flipping the coin to choose the side. The flip of a coin was used to decide the colour of the pieces. In another novelty, the entire team was playing with the same colour of pieces, unlike in standard formats where both teams have an equal number of black and white boards. In the circumstances, the side playing with white pieces has the initial advantage of the first move.

 

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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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