Global Chess League: Richard Rapport leads Fyers American Gambits to victory over Continental Kings
For a brief second, there were two queens on the board. But neither could save their king. That also meant Triveni Continental Kings, the champion of the first two editions of the Global Chess League, could suffer its first defeat in the third.
Richard Rapport’s win against Vidit Gujrathi, and his two queens, helped Fyers American Gambits score a significant victory against Continental Kings, the team that had really looked impressive in its title defence over the first two days. On Tuesday at the Royal Opera House, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, Gambits won 10-8.
Rapport finished the game with flourish, leading Vidit into a mating net, after giving up his rook and allowing White that second queen. The Indian resigned after 28 moves with checkmate just three moves away.
Volodar Murzin, the reigning World rapid champion, ensured the match victory for Gambits, beating MarcAndria Maurizzi on the Prodigy board. The defeat on the top board for Hikaru Nakamura to Alireza Firouzja thus did not matter. It was actually the third win in as many games for the Iranian-born French Grandmaster.
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Anand did well to convert his advantage, and helped Ganges Grandmasters win its second straight match. The newly crowned World Cup winner Jovakhir Sindarov and Polina Shuvalova also won their games.
Alpine SG Pipers scored a maiden victory, beating upGrad Mumba Masters 9-7. Wins by Hou Yifan and Leon Mendonca carried the day for the Pipers, as the Mumba team suffered its first loss.
Mumba, however, is leading the table with 33 points, one more than Continental Kings.
The results (third round):
Ganges Grandmasters bt PBG Alaskan Knights 12-3 (Viswanathan Anand bt D. Gukesh; Vincent Keymer drew with Arjun Erigaisi; Jovakhir Sindarov bt Leinier Dominguez; Polina Shuvalova bt Kateryna Lagno; Stavroula Tsolakidou drew with Sarasadat Khademalsharieh; Raunak Sadhwani drew with Daniel Dardha).
Fyers American Gambits bt Triveni Continental Kings 10-8 (Hikaru Nakamura lost to Alireza Firouzja, Vladislav Artemiev drew with Wei Yi; Richard Rapport bt Vidit Gujrathi; Bibisara Assaubayeva drew with Zhu Jiner; Teodora Injac lost to Alexandra Kosteniuk; Volodar Murzin bt MarcAndria Maurizzi).
upGrad Mumba Masters lost to Alpine SG Pipers 7-9 (Maxime Vachier-Lagrave bt Fabiano Caruana; Wesley So drew with Anish Giri; Shakhriyar Mamedyarov drew with R. Praggnanandhaa; Koneru Humpy lost to Hou Yifan; D. Harika drew with Nino Batsiashvilli; Daneshvar Barditya lost to Leon Mendonca).
(The writer is in Mumbai at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)
Published on Dec 16, 2025