Five players on 2 out of 2

Two teams made a perfect start at the Global Chess League in Mumbai, winning both of their matches on the first two days of play: two-time defending champions Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters.

The Triveni Continental Kings saw their leader Alireza Firouzja following up his first-round win over Fabiano Caruana by defeating Gukesh Dommaraju in round two. The defending champs produced the most one-sided result of the day, defeating PBG Alaskan Knights by 15–3. Firouzja's victory was complemented by wins from Zhu Jiner and Marc'Andria Maurizzi, both of whom had drawn their games in the opening round.

Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol.1 - 11

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The upGrad Mumba Masters also maintained a perfect record, overcoming Fyers American Gambits by 9–7 in their second match. With the white pieces on all six boards, the Mumba Masters absorbed a loss by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave against Hikaru Nakamura on board one, but wins by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Bardiya Daneshvar proved sufficient to secure the match. Both Mamedyarov and Daneshvar have won their first two games of the event.

The remaining encounter saw Ganges Grandmasters defeat Alpine SG Pipers by 13–7, with five of the six games ending decisively. The only draw came in the high-profile board-two game between Anish Giri and Vincent Keymer. Fabiano Caruana scored a win over Vishy Anand on the top board for the Pipers, but it was not enough to avoid defeat, as the Ganges GMs prevailed on three other boards. Notably, Polina Shuvalova for Ganges GMs and Nino Batsiashvili for the Pipers both recorded wins in each of their first two games, while Anand became of only two players to lose both of his opening encounters in Mumbai.

• Official website
• Full technical info on Chess-Results

Match #4: Mumba Masters 9–7 American Gambits

The Scotch Game

Besides in-depth theory and exciting tactical exercises in the Scotch Game, this video course also includes a bonus section on the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4), a lively variation often leading to very dynamic positions.

Hikaru Nakamura defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Nakamura showed his endgame skills on the top board, outplaying MVL in a setup with rooks and bishops of opposite colours in which the Frenchman had a very slight edge, but blundered into a losing position from what would have likely ended in a draw in a classical game.

Daneshvar and Mamedyarov, however, offset this loss by scoring convincing victories on boards three and six. Mamedyarov's win over Richard Rapport was particularly impressive, with the Azerbaijani star finding a couple of great-looking combinations to get a memorable attacking victory over his similarly creative colleague.

Match #5: Pipers 7–13 Ganges GMs

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Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.

Fabiano Caruana got the better of Vishy Anand out of a complex line in the Ruy Lopez | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Anand's second consecutive loss for the Ganges GMs did not prevent them from scoring their first match victory in Mumbai.

Javokhir Sindarov bounced back from his round-one loss by beating fellow Candidate Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu; Polina Shuvalova managed to checkmate women's world number one Hou Yifan from what was a holdable endgame; while Raunak Sadhwani defeated Leon Luke Mendonca in the battle of Indian rising stars.

Match #6: Alaskan Knights 3–15 Continental Kings

King’s Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black Part 1 & 2

GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
The King’s Indian Defence has been one of the most dynamic and popular responses to 1.d4 for decades. Legends such as Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Hikaru Nakamura have employed it at the highest level – and it continues to fascinate today, as it offers Black not only solidity but also rich attacking and counterattacking opportunities. Its special advantage: the King’s Indian is a universal system, equally effective against 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. Grandmaster Felix Blohberger, multiple Austrian Champion and experienced second, presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black. His approach: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: London System

The sixth match of the event taking place in Mumbai | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

The Continental Kings were the only team to get a match victory on Monday without losing a single game.

Zhu and Maurizzi showed their endgame skills to claim wins on boards four and six, while Firouzja's victory over world champion Gukesh saw the Frenchman correctly prioritising going for the initiative after his opponent weakened his kingside structure in the middlegame.

Links

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