In a thrilling climax to the league phase of the Global Chess League in Mumbai, young Indian Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani marked his 20th birthday with a spectacular victory. His win over world rapid champion Volodar Murzin on Monday brought Vishy Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters tantalizingly close to securing a spot in the tournament final.
Birthday Brilliance and a Queen's Response
Despite Sadhwani's celebratory performance, the day's ultimate narrative was shaped by women's world number one Hou Yifan. The 31-year-old Chinese superstar spoiled Raunak's birthday party by securing her third consecutive win within 24 hours, a result that propelled the Alpine SG Pipers into the championship match. Demonstrating near-perfect precision, Hou defeated Kateryna Lagno in a mere 20 moves, achieving a staggering accuracy rate of 99.2 percent.
A Tight Finish in the League Standings
The final league matches created a nail-biting three-way tie for second place. Vishy Anand's Ganges Grandmasters, Fabiano Caruana's Alpine SG Pipers, and Gukesh's PBG Alaskan Knights all finished with identical match points of 15. The Pipers' advancement was decided by the slimmest of margins: a superior game point ratio of 84 against the Grandmasters' 83. This edged them into the title clash against the dominant Triveni Continental Kings, who topped the table with 24 match points and 102 game points.
In their final match, the Pipers actually suffered a loss despite Hou Yifan's heroics. The PBG Alaskan Knights, powered by world champion Gukesh and India's top-ranked Arjun Erigaisi, delivered strong performances. Both Indian stars outplayed their elite opponents, Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri respectively, using the black pieces to guide the Knights to an 11-6 victory.
Playoff Matchups Confirmed
With the league stage concluded, the playoff picture is now clear. The Alpine SG Pipers will face the Triveni Continental Kings for the Global Chess League championship. Meanwhile, the Ganges Grandmasters and the Alaskan Knights, tied on match points but separated by game points (Knights had 73), are set to battle it out in the third-place playoff match. The intense competition in Mumbai has set the stage for a grand finale to the prestigious team chess event.
