Giri and Mendonca score 2/2 for the Pipers

The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025 concluded with a clear outcome in the Final, as Alpine SG Pipers defeated Triveni Continental Kings 2–0 to secure the championship. The result stood in sharp contrast to the round-robin phase, which the Continental Kings had dominated, finishing 9 match points clear of the field.

As stipulated by the regulations, the Final reset all prior advantages and reverted to classical scoring - one point for a win and half a point for a draw, with no colour-based bonuses - placing both teams on equal footing for the title decider.

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In the first mini-match, Alireza Firouzja again assumed responsibility on the top board and swiftly capitalised on a misjudgement by Fabiano Caruana, giving the Continental Kings early encouragement. That momentum, however, proved short-lived. The Pipers struck back decisively through Anish Giri, Nino Batsiashvili and Leon Luke Mendonca, building a clear advantage across the remaining boards.

A promising position for Vidit Gujrathi against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu offered the Continental Kings a chance to limit the damage, but the opportunity slipped away, leaving them under pressure going into the return match.

The second mini-match followed a similar pattern, with Firouzja once more opting for ambitious play, this time with the black pieces. He outplayed Caruana from the opening and appeared well on course for a win, only for the game to end abruptly when he ran out of time.

Further victories by Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Leon Luke Mendonca ensured the Pipers could not be caught. Alexandra Kosteniuk provided the sole point in reply for the Continental Kings.

Across both matches, Giri emerged as the standout performer, defeating Wei Yi twice - first by exploiting a single error and then through a controlled positional win.

The triumph marked a successful return to the Final for the Pipers, who had fallen short at the same stage in 2024, and it was Caruana who completed the task after Magnus Carlsen's departure from the lineup.

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Mendonca 1-0 Maurizzi

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

All games - Final

Gukesh's Alaskan Knights grab third place

Earlier in the day, the match for third place delivered one of the most dramatic sequences of the entire event, as PBG Alaskan Knights overcame Ganges Grandmasters after extended tiebreaks. The contest featured four mini-matches and only two draws across 24 games.

The Ganges GMs side initially took control, with Viswanathan Anand again defeating Gukesh Dommaraju, supported by wins from Javokhir Sindarov, Polina Shuvalova and Raunak Sadhwani. The Alaskan Knights responded through the lower boards, with Arjun Erigaisi overcoming Vincent Keymer twice, and the match ultimately moved into two 3+2 blitz encounters.

There, the momentum continued to swing until the Alaskan Knights finally prevailed, with Erigaisi again playing a decisive role and Gukesh securing the final win. The result capped a turbulent campaign for the Alaskan Knights, who recovered from four straight defeats at the start of the tournament to finish third overall.

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Anand 1-0 Gukesh

All games - Match for third place

Links

• Official website
• Continental Kings clinch GCL for the second consecutive year (2024)
• Jonas Buhl Bjerre wins thriller, Triveni Continental Kings clinch title (2023)