Global Chess League: Alaskan Knights secures last-second victory as Giri makes startling blunder

In the second match of the day, tournament leaders Alaskan Knights faced a tough challenge from the third-placed SG Pipers on Sunday. Despite winning the coin toss, the Pipers opted to play with the black pieces, a decision influenced by Magnus Carlsen after team captain Pravin Thipsay initially wanted to take White.

Also read | Global Chess League: Nakamura defeats Anand on time as Ganges struggle

Anish Giri blundered 

The match's biggest upset occurred on the Icon board, where Anish Giri blundered a piece against Magnus Carlsen, losing in just 22 moves. This was the shortest game of the league so far, lasting only 20 minutes.

On the superstars’ board, Mamedyarov drew with Rapport, while Abdusattorov delivered a crushing victory over Praggnanandhaa in a rook endgame, scoring a first win for PBG Alaskan Knights. The momentum shifted further in favour of the Alaskan Knights when Tan Zhongyi, in a duel of former world champions, defeated Hou Yifan, currently the top-rated woman player. Kashlinskaya and Lagno drew on the women’s board, bringing the score to 8-6 for PBG.

The drama escalated on the final board in play, where PBG's Nihal Sarin was completely winning against Daniel Dardha but faced severe time pressure. With just three seconds left, Sarin claimed a draw under the rules. Had he not done so and Dardha won on time, the Alaskan Knights would have secured the match win.

With this 9-7 victory, the PBG Alaskan Knights extended their winning streak to five rounds.

Also Read | GCL: Knights soar to four wins as Vishy Anand’s Ganges hit rock bottom

Mumba Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings: Firouzja leads Triveni to second place in the League

Season one champions, Triveni, kicked off their first match of the day playing as White against the Mumba Masters. Despite winning the coin toss, the Mumba Masters chose to play as Black. At this stage, both teams had accumulated six match points, though Triveni held a decisive advantage in game points, leading 43 to 29.

Triveni's Icon player, Alireza Firouzja, continued his impressive form against top-tier opponents, comfortably defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. On board two, Wei Yi secured a victory over Gujrathi, while Gunina triumphed over Harika Dronavalli on the women’s board. With the remaining games ending in draws, Triveni emerged with a commanding 12-3 win.

This victory propelled Triveni to second place, with a total of nine match points and 55 game points.