GCL: Knights score over Pipers
The Global Chess League saw the PBG Alaskan Knights defeat the Alpine APL Pipers, despite Viswanathan Anand losing his individual match to Magnus Carlsen. The Pipers currently lead the tournament standings after four rounds of play.
Why it matters
The league represents a significant shift in professional chess, emphasizing team-based competition among the world's top grandmasters.
Viswanathan Anand rarely plays these days: he is more of a mentor and now the interim president of FIDE. Magnus Carlsen, who dethroned Anand as the World champion in 2013, has relinquished his crown.
Still, when the two all-time greats come across a chessboard, there is a buzz. That was quite palpable at the Lalit Ashok on Monday. They played some interesting chess too, on the third day of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, but Anand was unlucky, as he lost on time from an equal position. The five-time World champion, however, could afford to forget his defeat, as his team, PBG Alaskan Knights, won the match against Alpine APL Pipers 9-7. That, in fact, was the first loss in the tournament for Carlsen’s team after winning both their matches.
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