Global Chess League: Mumba Masters open campaign with win

The inaugural edition of the Global Chess League, which aims to revolutionize chess, got underway in Dubai, with the first two matches taking place on Friday. 

For the first time ever, chess is employing a well-established football practice of flipping the coin to choose the side. In the case of chess, the flip of a coin was used to decide the colour of the pieces. In another novelty, the entire team was playing with the same colour of pieces, unlike in standard chess events where both teams have an equal number of black and white boards.

In the new circumstances, the side playing with white pieces has the initial advantage of the first move which might prove valuable for the outcome.

The first teams to face each other were the Triveni Continental Kings who were up against upGrad Mumba Masters.

After the coin toss, it was decided that Triveni Continental Kings will be playing with white pieces, giving a small but important edge to the team in their first match.

Led by Levon Aronian, a super Grandmaster who has long been among the world’s best players, the Triveni Continental Kings played a steady match against upGrad Mumba Masters. Despite the initiative of the first move, the Kings failed to capitalise on their advantage.

In a slightly better position and with more time, Levon Aronian misplayed and allowed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (another Icon player of the Global Chess League) to equalise and bring the game to a draw.

The team faced another setback when Chinese Grandmaster Yu Yangyi suffered a defeat at the hands of Russian heavyweight Alexander Grischuk, giving upGrad Mumba Masters an important advantage as a victory with black pieces counts as four points. Despite Yu’s compatriot Wie Yi scoring a victory against India’s Vidit Gujrathi and earning three points, the Kings were still a point short.

Unfortunately for them, all three other games ended in a draw. This meant that the final score saw upGrad Mumba Masters secure eight points while the Triveni Continental Kings ended on seven thus losing the match, despite the initial advantage.

Apart from the eight points achieved in their games, the winning team is awarded another three points for winning the match.

Final Score: upGrad Mumba Masters 8 (Game Points) – 7 (Game Points) Triveni Continental Kings

Anand, Yifan power Ganges Grandmasters to huge victory over Chingari Gulf Titans

Former world champions Vishwananthan Anand and Hou Yifan notched big victories to help Ganges Grandmasters begin the inaugural Global Chess League on a winning note.

Ganges Grandmasters defeated the Chingari Gulf Titans 10-4 on Thursday night.

In the other tie, upGrad Mumba Masters eked out a thrilling 8-7 win over Triveni Continental Kings.

Starting off the proceedings five-time world champion Anand used his experience while capitalising on the advantage of playing with white pieces to get the better of 2021 World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

For the first time ever, chess is employing the practice of flipping to decide the colour of the pieces.

The entire team plays with the same colour of pieces, unlike in standard chess events where both teams have an equal number of black and white boards. In the new circumstances, the side playing with white pieces has the initial advantage of the first move which might prove valuable for the outcome.

Anand's early victory gave an important boost to the Ganges team.

Four-time world champion China's Yifan was the second to score, defeating another former women's world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in a thrilling game.

Those two victories were the only decisive games of the match as the other four ended in a draw.