NEW DELHI: SG Pipers pulled off a stunning upset to win the third edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) on Tuesday, defeating two-time defending champions Continental Kings in the final.The Pipers had barely made it to the final, edging past Ganges Grandmasters by just one game point.
But once they reached the title clash, they looked confident and in control. They won the first rapid match 4-2 while playing with the black pieces and followed it up with an even stronger 4.5-1.5 victory with white to seal the championship. Alaskan Knights finished third after winning a dramatic tie-break against Ganges Grandmasters.Continental Kings entered the final as favourites, but the momentum was clearly with the Pipers, who had hit form late in the league stage. Key contributions came from Nino Batsiashvili and young Indian talent Leon Luke Mendonca. Batsiashvili defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk in a long bishop-knight endgame, while Mendonca forced Marc’Andria Maurizzi to resign after 52 moves.Although Continental Kings’ star Alireza Firouzja beat Fabiano Caruana on the icon board, Anish Giri’s win over Wei Yi ensured the Pipers took the first match. In the second match, R Praggnanandhaa gave the Pipers an early edge by defeating Vidit Gujrathi. Giri then beat Wei Yi again, putting the result beyond doubt.“Yesterday I had mixed feelings because I had a terrible match, but the team reached the final. But today there is no mixed feeling,” said Giri after being named Player of the Match.Caruana later beat Firouzja, who ran out of time. Firouzja was named Male Player of the Tournament, while Hou Yifan was praised for her crucial role in helping the Pipers reach the final.“It feels great. The last two times, we were quite close to making the final. This time, we barely made it. But in the final, everyone showed up with their best game and it is a great feeling,” said Praggnanandhaa.Earlier, PBG Alaskan Knights secured third place in a thrilling playoff. World champion D Gukesh defeated Viswanathan Anand when it mattered most, winning in 49 moves and sealing the third-place trophy for his team after a tense blitz tie-break.
