Sports
Warriors fight their way to GCL top perch
SG Alpine Warriors usurped Ganges Grandmasters to go into the lead after Day 4 of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League on Sunday. Also showing some fight were upGrad Mumba Masters, who were undone by India’s Praggnanandhaa R in the final match of the day when they went down 7-8 to the Warriors. The young prodigy beat Juvokhir Sindarov with black to turn the tables after Maxine Vachier-Lagrave shocked Magnus Carlsen.
The Warriors made for perfect timing new occupants on the leaderboard with brand ambassador Yuzvendra Chahal, the Indian cricketer, making an appearance at the venue. Chahal is the only player to represent India in cricket and chess. His presence added to a massive turnout in the audience at Le Meridien hotel. The Warriors had two matches on the day and impressively won both with black.
SG Alpine Warriors’ Gukesh D of Alpine Warriors lost to Shakhyar Mamedyarov of Chingari Gulf Titans in the second match of the day. Courtesy GCL
Despite having Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player in the world in their squad, Warriors were evenly matched against Masters in the final match. In time trouble, Carlsen made a fatal move towards the end directly entering a lost position against counterpart icon player Vachier-Lagrave. Magnus was in disbelief as he shook his head after the loss.
Irina Krush then made a huge blunder against Koneru Humpy, but the Masters player missed the opportunity and the game ended in a draw. However, the Masters were still in the match, pushing on the last two boards. In the end, Harika Dronavalli drew with Elisabeth Paehtz, but Praggnanandhaa was confident and won against Sindarov, securing important four game points for SG Alpine Warriors.
The day started on a bad note for Ganges Grandmasters as they lost to Ronnie Screwvala’s Mumba Masters despite starting with white for the first-move advantage. Harika Dronavalli got the first victory of the match, having defeated Bella Khotenashvili, gaining important four game points.
ALSO READ: Ganges Grandmasters in full flow
As other games ended in a draw, Viswanathan Anand managed to strike back on board one where he was playing Vachier-Lagrave. The Frenchman opted to give up a pawn in the opening but create more initiative. In a sharp exchange, the Frenchman misplayed when he put his queen on the wrong square and ended in a losing position which he couldn’t save.
Despite this victory, Grandmasters’ Richard Rapport lost to Alexander Grischuk, who became the hero of the match having sealed the victory and three crucial match points.
In the second match of the day, Warriors won the coin toss against Chingari Gulf Titans. They opted to play as black in a surprise decision, only the second time in the tournament. The black team gets an extra point for a win.
On board one, it was Jan-Krzysztof Duda against the reigning world champion in rapid and blitz, Magnus Carlsen. It was Duda who ended Carlsen’s world record run of 125 games unbeaten and who in 2021 knocked him out of the World Cup. Despite Duda creating a slightly better position, Magnus managed to unsettle the white king and in the end went for a three-fold check repetition.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov was the first to score for the Titans, defeating Gukesh D and bringing the Titans three game points. However, Nihal Sarin made a fatal error under time pressure in a setback for Titans, giving the Warriors a one-point edge. As three more games ended in a draw, all eyes turned to the game between Polina Shuvalova and Elisabeth Paehtz. In a rook endgame, Elisabeth Paehtz then defeated Polina Shuvalova to secure victory for Warriors.
تواصل منافسات “الدوري العالمي للشطرنج” الذي تستضيف #دبي دورته الأولى وتستمر منافساته في الفترة بين 21 يونيو و2 يوليو بمشاركة نخبة من أبطال اللعبة ونجومها من حول العالم، تأكيداً على مكانة دبي كمركز جذب رئيسي للبطولات العالمية الكبرى في مختلف الألعاب. @DubaiSC @FIDE_chess @GCLlive pic.twitter.com/44lqjNx5In
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 25, 2023
Balan Alaskan Knights took on Chingari Gulf Titans in a bottom table scrap with Knights playing first after winning the toss. Both teams had suffered three defeats in four matches. While the Knights managed to win one team encounter, the Titans were yet to bag their first match victory.
The Titans came out swinging from the start – both Mamedyarov and former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk gained a decisive advantage in their matches. In the match of the women’s world champions, Kosteniuk, playing as black, forced Tan Zhongyi to surrender. Moments after, Mamedyarov, also as black, defeated the 2021 world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov giving more wind to the Titans’ sails. A 15:3 result gave Titans their first win.
Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu produced a brilliant final-round victory to win Norway Chess 2026, capping a dramatic finish to one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments.
Entering the final day half a point behind leader Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew only a win would give him a realistic chance of claiming the title. The 19-year-old delivered under pressure, defeating Vincent Keymer with the white pieces to secure the full three points and surge to first place.
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points, enough to overtake Wesley So and clinch the Norway Chess crown in Oslo.
So, who had led the standings heading into the final round, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja before winning the Armageddon tiebreak. However, the extra points were not enough to keep him ahead of the charging Indian grandmaster.
Firouzja completed a strong campaign to finish third overall.
Elsewhere, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen signed off in style with a classical victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, delighting home fans with a final-round win.
Final Standings
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 18 points
- Wesley So – 17 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 15.5 points
Assaubayeva dominates women’s event
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, Bibisara Assaubayeva completed a dominant campaign to secure the title after having already wrapped up first place with a round to spare.
The final day featured three decisive classical games, eliminating the need for Armageddon tiebreaks.
Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun handed Assaubayeva her first classical defeat of the tournament, while Zhu Jiner defeated Humpy Koneru to secure second place overall. Anna Muzychuk also ended her campaign on a high note with a victory over Divya Deshmukh to finish third.
Norway Chess women’s final standings
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 16.5 points
- Zhu Jiner – 16 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 15 points
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph marks another major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster’s rapidly rising career and further strengthens India’s growing influence at the highest level of world chess.
The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.
Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.
The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.
Assaubayeva seals women’s title
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.
Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.
Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.
After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.
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