Global Chess League: Caruana, Giri shine for SG Pipers as it overcomes defending champion Continental Kings
Alireza Firouzja flashed a winning smile, extending his hand to Fabiano Caruana. The fans stood up from their seats at the Royal Opera House. They applauded.
The two men deserved that standing ovation. Caruana won his battle against time in a wild game on the Icon board and also ended Firouzja’s stunning series of five wins from as many games.
Caruana’s victory helped Alpine SG Pipers overcome defending champion Triveni Continental Kings in the sixth round of the Global Chess League, but the American wasn’t the only hero for his team.
Anish Giri was brilliant on the second board as he outclassed his formidable rival, Wei Yi. The Dutchman showed the depth of his preparation in a Queen’s Pawn game and finished off with a flourish, too, sacrificing his second rook.
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In what has been the match of the tournament so far, all the games have produced decisive results. Apart from Giri and Caruana, R. Praggnanandhaa and the incredibly consistent Nino Batsiashvili scored wins for SG Pipers. The Georgian now has five wins and a draw from her six games.
In the day’s other matches in the sixth round, PBG Alaskan Knights beat Fyers American Gambits 9-7, and upGrad Mumba Masters defeated Ganges Grandmasters 11-6.
Continental Kings is leading the table with 15 match points and 70 game points, but it has played a match more than the second-placed upGrad Mumba Masters (12 match points, 67 game points).
The results (seventh round)
Triveni Continental Kings bt PBG Alaskan Knights 10-9 (Alireza Firouzja lost to D. Gukesh; Wei Yi bt Arjun Erigaisi; Vidit Gujrathi bt Leinier Dominguez; Zhu Jiner lost to Kateryna Lagno; Alexandra Kosteniuk bt Sarasadat Khademalsharieh; MarcAndria Maurizzi drew with Daniel Dardha).
The results (sixth round)
Alpine SG Pipers bt Triveni Continental Kings 9-7 (Fabiano Caruana bt Firouzja; Anish Giri bt Wei; R. Praggnanandhaa bt Vidit; Hou Yifan lost to Zhu; Nino Batsiashvili bt Kosteniuk; Leon Mendonca lost to Maurizzi).
PBG Alaskan Knights bt Fyers American Gambits 9-7 (Gukesh lost to Hikaru Nakamura; Arjun bt Vladislav Artemiev; Dominquez drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva; Khademalasharieh bt Teodora Injac; Dardha drew with Volodar Mauzin).
upGrad Mumba Masters bt Ganges Grandmaster 11-6 (Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew with Viswanathan Anand; Wesley So bt Vincent Keymer; Shakhriyar Mamedyarov bt Javokhir Sindarov; Koneru Humpy bt Polina Shuvalova; D. Harika lost to Stavroula Tsolakidou; Bardiya Daneshvar drew with Raunak Sadhwani).
(The writer is in Mumbai at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)
Published on Dec 19, 2025