Global Chess League 2024: Iconic clash between Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen ends in a draw

The second season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League—chess's first franchise competition—kicked off with a bang as top players from around the world squared off in an electrifying opening day. After three matches, the PBG Alaskan Knights, American Gambits, and Alpine SG Pipers emerged victorious, setting the pace for the competition.

The packed venue at Friends House in London erupted in applause as top world players entered the hall, dressed in team jerseys in an atmosphere more akin to a football match than a traditional chess tournament.

The opening match of the season featured the American Gambits against season one runners-up, the Mumba Masters. According to league regulations, each match starts with a coin toss to decide colours. For this round, the American Gambits played with the white pieces. As this is a round-robin tournament, they will switch to black when they meet the Mumba Masters again.

The American Gambits secured a commanding 11:6 victory over the Mumba Masters, earning three match points. On the Icon board, reserved for the league’s strongest players, world number two Hikaru Nakamura, playing as White, fought to a hard-earned draw against France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. 

Despite describing his performance as "shaky," Nakamura remained optimistic about his team’s chances: “I think as the event goes on, we'll build more chemistry. Everyone's in a pretty good mood, and today we played really well... My game was maybe a little shaky at times, but everybody seemed to play well, so I’m actually pretty optimistic. As the event goes on, we'll continue to get better.”

While Nakamura settled for a draw, his teammate, 26-year-old Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda, delivered a decisive win. Duda defeated Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi with a brilliant checkmate combination, earning him the title of Player of the Match. 

Elsewhere, China’s Yu Yangyi played to a draw against Peter Svidler in a balanced encounter between seasoned grandmasters. However, it was on the lower boards that the American Gambits sealed their victory. Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva upset one of India's top female players, Humpy Koneru, while Harika Dronavalli provided a win for the Mumba Masters by defeating German GM Elisabeth Paehtz. Jonas Buhl Bjerre capped off the Gambits' commanding win by defeating Mumba’s Raunak Sadhwani.

Alphine SG Pipers triumph; Vishy Anand draws with Magnus

The second match of the day saw the Ganges Grandmasters, playing with White, face the Alpine SG Pipers. Despite the colour disadvantage, the SG Pipers triumphed with an 11:6 victory, thanks to wins by Richard Rapport and Hou Yifan.

The top duel of the day featured a showdown between two chess titans—both five-time World Champions—Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen. The game ended in a draw, with Carlsen managing to steady the ship after a tough middlegame.

Alpine SG Pipers’ Richard Rapport’s victory came after a tense battle with Iranian grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo, where he turned the tables despite White's early initiative. For his performance, Rapport was named Player of the Match. Meanwhile, Ganges’ Vaishali Rameshbabu put up a fierce fight against former women’s World Champion Hou Yifan but ultimately lost. International Master Nurgyul Salimova salvaged some pride for the Ganges Grandmasters by defeating the experienced blitz and rapid player Kateryna Lagno. On the junior board, the match between Volodar Murzin and Daniel Dardha ended in a draw.

Defending champs Triveni Continental Kings lose

The final match of the day saw the defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, face the PBG Alaskan Knights. Despite having the first-move advantage, the champions were caught off guard as the Alaskan Knights came out swinging, securing a dominant 15:3 victory.

On the Icon board, 21-year-old Alireza Firouzja—one of the world’s top grandmasters, described by Magnus Carlsen as a potential successor at the top—miraculously saved a lost position against Anish Giri, preventing an even more devastating loss for his team. The Alaskan Knights claimed three victories on the superstars' boards and drew the remaining two, finishing the match without a single defeat. With the most impressive score on day one, the PBG Alaskan Knights have firmly positioned themselves as strong contenders for the title.