Defending champions Triveni Continental Kings outclassed PBG Alaskan Knights in both final matches to secure their second successive title in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, in London, on Saturday.
In two hard-fought, nerve-wracking games, Triveni stunned PBG with a 13-7 victory as Black in the first match and followed it up with a 9-7 win as White in the second. This victory earned Triveni the championship and the top prize of US$ 500,000.
Former women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk emerged as the star player of the day for Triveni. Her victory over Tan Zhongyi in the decisive game of the second match denied PBG a chance at tiebreaks and she was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
"Amazing how chess can be so exciting," said Alireza Firouzja, Triveni's Icon player. "I am very happy and delighted to be part of this amazing event and show."
Firouzja also commented on the season's innovation of no time increments, a rule that added intensity to the matches: "As a player, I am happy to have played without increment for the first time, and I hope to see more of this."
It was a tough day for the PBG Alaskan Knights, who had been nearly unbeatable all season -- until the finals. For their second-place finish, they took home $250,000.
PBG had an amazing run this season, winning eight of the ten matches and securing a spot in the finals with a round to spare. For the defending champions, Triveni, the path to the finals was a bit bumpy: they lost four matches and in the final round they registered a last-minute victory against Alpine SG Pipers led by Magnus Carlsen in a death match for the remaining spot in the finals.
Match One: Triveni defeats PBG 9-7
The first match kicked off with Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, making the ceremonial first move in the game between Alireza Firouzja and Anish Giri. As Mahindra was leaving the hall, he gave Firouzja a tap on the shoulder and a wave, possibly boosting Firouzja's spirits.
Whether it was Mahindra's energy or sheer skill, Firouzja played aggressively, sacrificing an exchange but emerging a pawn up. Giri fought back, but Firouzja remained sharp despite being behind on the clock and ultimately secured a victory. The naturalized Frenchman was so absorbed in the game that, moments after his win, he eagerly asked his coach when the next match would begin.
With a draw between Radjabov and Mamedyarov on board three, Triveni led 4-1. Shortly after, two more draws followed: one between Sindarov and Sarin on the prodigy board and another between Gunina and Kashlinskaya.
Then came a crucial turning point -- in the battle between two former women's World Champions, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Tan Zhongyi. Refusing a draw earlier in the game, Kosteniuk's bold decision paid off, sealing the match for Triveni before the final board had even finished.
Although Nodirbek Abdusattorov won his game against Wei Yi on the prodigy board, it wasn't enough to save PBG. Triveni claimed the first match with a final score of 9-7.
Match Two: Wei Yi and Kosteniuk secure Triveni's victory
In the rematch, the pressure weighed heavily on PBG, who needed a win to stay in contention. Playing as White, they were compelled to take more aggressive approaches, a risky strategy that could backfire if they overextended.
Initially, things looked promising for PBG. The computer evaluations showed slight advantages for White or balanced positions across the board. But that was just the beginning. Triveni soon seized the initiative, with Valentina Gunina gaining a dominant position as Black against Alina Kashlinskaya.
White managed to escape temporarily, but Gunina then sacrificed a rook to launch a dangerous attack. As both players entered time trouble amidst intense tactical complications, the outcome could have gone either way. Kashlinskaya was the first to crack under pressure, losing a piece. She attempted to counter with checks, but Gunina confidently secured the win, earning Triveni four crucial points and pushing them closer to victory.
Sarin and Sindarov followed with another draw
On board three, Mamedyarov secured an extra pawn and a winning position against Triveni's Teimour Radjabov. Though Radjabov resisted, refusing to resign, he ultimately ran out of time. The score now stood at 5-4 in favor of Triveni.
The tension escalated on the remaining boards. Under immense pressure and in severe time trouble, Triveni's Alireza Firouzja made an incredible queen sacrifice to save his position against Anish Giri. With Firouzja down to just seconds on the clock, Giri began to focus more on the clock than the board. This strategy backfired disastrously, and Giri ended up in a lost position.
However, despite Firouzja being one of the fastest players on the planet, he didn't have enough time to convert the win and lost on time. With that, PBG took the lead 7-5.
Then came a shocking turn on board two. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, in a better position, blundered in time trouble, misplaying a drawn endgame and then went further – losing a drawn endgame. This handed the lead back to Triveni.
Everything now hinged on board four, where PBG's Tan Zhongyi needed to defeat Alexandra Kosteniuk to force a playoff. Tan had a significant advantage on the clock and needed to keep up the pressure, hoping Kosteniuk would crack under the strain.
But the opposite happened -- Tan made a critical blunder and ended up losing, sealing Triveni Continental Knights' 13-7 victory and their second title in a row.
