Global Chess League 2024: Tan Zhongyi gets better of R. Vaishali; SG Pipers beats Upgrad Mumba Masters 12-4

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Parham Maghsoodloo, while Nihal Sarin, a player who relishes speed chess, continued his good run with a victory against Volodar Murzin.

Tan Zhongyi of PBG Alaskan Knights beat R. Vaishali of Ganges Grandmasters | Photo Credit: Lennart Ootes

They began the day with three wins out of three. The PGB Alaskan Knights made it four out of four in the second edition of the Global Chess League on Saturday.

Anish Giri and his troupe are indeed looking unstoppable at Friends House. They scored a crushing 12-3 win against Ganges Grandmasters in the opening match of the third day.

Giri drew with five-time champion Viswanathan Anand on the Icon board, but yet again there were crucial wins scored by his teammates on other boards. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Parham Maghsoodloo, while Nihal Sarin, a player who relishes speed chess, continued his good run with a victory against Volodar Murzin.

Both the Alaskan women also played their part. Tan Zhongyi got the better of R. Vaishali and Alina Kashlinskaya beat Nurgyul Salimova.

Giri, however, was only cautiously optimistic.

“Yes we have won four out of four, but as we saw last year, the teams that start well may not be able to keep winning,” he told The Hindu. “It was a really good day for us.”

Alaskan Knights maintained its lead with 12 match points while defending champion Triveni Continental Kings and Alpine SG Pipers have six each.

SG Pipers scored a 12-4 win against Upgrad Mumba Masters.

The Icon boards clash between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was drawn, but there were wins for Richard Rapport and Daniel Dardha.

Continental Kings proved too good for American Gambits, with Alireza Firouzja registering another big win: he beat Hikaru Nakamura on the Icon board. Wei Yi and Alexandra Kosteniuk also tasted victories.

The results:

PBG Alaskan Knights bt Ganges Grandmasters 12-3 (Anish Giri drew with Viswanathan Anand; Nodirbek Abdusattorov drew with Arjun Erigaisi; Shakhriyar Mamedyarov bt Parham Maghsoodloo; Tan Zhongyi bt R. Vaishali; Alina Kashlinskaya bt Nurgyul Salimova; Nihal Sarin drew with Volodar Murzin).

American Gambits lost to Triveni Continental Kings 3-15 (Hikaru Nakamura lost to Firouzja Alireza; Jan-Krzysztof Duda lost to Wei Yi; Yu Yangyi drew with Temour Radjabov; Bibisara Assaubayeva lost to Alexandra Kosteniuk; Elisabeth Paehtz drew with Valentina Gunina; Jonas Buhl Bjerr drew with Javokhir Sindarov).

Alpine SG Pipers bt Upgrad Mumba Masters 12-4 (Magnus Carlsen drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; R. Pragghanandhaa drew with Vidit Gujrathi; Richard Rapport bt Peter Svidler; Hou Yifan drew with Koneru Humpy; Kateryna Lagno drew with D. Harika; Daniel Dardha bt Raunak Sadhwani).