Anand, Arjun play out draws as Ganges Grandmasters suffer third consecutive defeat in GCL

PTI, Oct 5, 2024, 8:56 PM IST

Representative image (source: iStock)

London: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi could manage only draws as Ganges Grandmasters suffered their third successive defeat, losing 3-12 to PBS Alaskan Knights on the third day of the Global Chess League here on Saturday.

The Knights had ended day two on a high, toppling upGrad Mumba Masters to take the lead, while the Ganges Grandmasters had suffered crushing defeats in their first two matches, making this a must-win for them to turn the tide.

The coin toss gave the Alaskan Knights the white pieces, with 20 minutes per player on the clock—there are just 40 minutes for the entire match.

Early on, momentum briefly seemed to shift toward Ganges, as computer evaluations favoured them on several boards. But with time ticking down, the Knights got an edge on the lower boards.

The first game to conclude was on the superstars’ board, where Arjun Erigaisi, playing with black pieces, missed a winning opportunity against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, resulting in a draw—a frustrating outcome for Ganges.

In the clash between iconic players Anand and Anish Giri, the former world champion built a strong position, but Giri complicated matters, putting Anand into time trouble. The legendary Indian GM couldn’t convert his advantage, and this game also ended in a draw.

Things quickly worsened for Ganges. The first blow came on the women’s board, where Alina Kashlinskaya secured a crucial win for the Alaskan Knights, putting them ahead.

Ganges pinned their hopes on Parham Maghsoodloo, who was dominating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. However, disaster struck in the final seconds when Maghsoodloo blundered in a winning position, gifting the full point to Mamedyarov.

Tan Zhongyi followed up with a win over Nurgyul Salimova on the second women’s board, extending the Knights’ lead. With the match already decided, Nihal Sarin held a draw against Volodar Murzin on the juniors’ board, sealing a comprehensive 12-3 victory for the Alaskan Knights.

With four straight wins, PBS Alaskan Knights are soaring at the top, while Ganges Grandmasters languish in last place with just 14 game points and no match wins.