Crazy day of chess! Carlsen loses, boosts Sindarov’s GCL hopes, only to be denied

BENGALURU: Saturday was the final day of the preliminary stages of the 2026 Global Chess League (GCL). Two teams, Viswanathan Anand's PBG Alaskan Knights and Alireza Firouzja's Triveni Continental Kings, had already been eliminated. Javokhir Sindarov's American Gambits had an outside chance of qualifying for the finals on Sunday here in Bengaluru. And the gods were listening to their prayers, for some time indeed.The top two positions were occupied by Ian Nepomniachtchi's Ganges Grandmasters and Magnus Carlsen's APL Pipers. Both teams lost their matches on the day against Triveni and Alaskan Knights, respectively.Carlsen, playing at the Icon board for the Pipers, suffered his first loss of the tournament at the hands of Alireza. Before the start of the GCL, Carlsen warned Alireza that he would "flag the s***" out of him.