Anand Gains 4th Victory, But Team Duda Defeats Leaders

GM Viswanathan Anand scored yet another victory, defeating GM Jan-Krysztof Duda, but it wasn't enough for the Ganges Grandmasters, who lost a nailbiter to the Chingari Gulf Titans on day six of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2023. 

With wins from GM Daniil Dubov and IM Polina Shuvalova and a crucial draw by GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, the Titans have risen from last place into fourth. 

Due to missed opportunities on the higher boards, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's Upgrad Mumba Masters were deadlocked vs. GM Levon Aronian's Triveni Continental Kings until the last minutes of the round when GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Javokhir Sindarov carried their team to victory. 

The action will continue on June 28, starting at 6.30 a.m. ET/15:30 CEST.

Round Six  

• Ganges Grandmasters 7-9 Chingari Gulf Titans (Anand vs. Duda on top board)
• UpGrad Mumba Masters 10-4 Triveni Continental Kings (Vachier-Lagrave vs. Aronian)

Ganges Grandmasters 7-9 Chingari Gulf Titans

The Chingari Gulf Titans entered the round with much to prove, looking for vengeance against the Ganges Grandmasters, who defeated them in round one. In addition, the Titans held hopes to launch themselves out of last place while taking down the clear first-place Grandmasters. 

Anand gained the advantage vs. Duda with a clever maneuver to land his knight on the potent ‘octopus’ square of d3.  

The knight's journey to glory:

Duda sacrificed an exchange to eliminate the meddlesome knight, but Anand’s remaining rooks dominated the endgame. Anand is now 2-0 vs. Duda in the league. 

Though GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov exhibited some aggressive potential when he set up Reti’s rifle (a queen on a1 behind a fianchettoed bishop on b2), the Azerbaijani grandmaster soon switched gears and traded away a slew of pieces, drawing with GM Richard Rapport on board two. 

Dubov created a rare remix of a popular position in the Scotch Game, offering an unexpected pawn sacrifice to leave the well-traveled road vs. GM Leinier Dominguez.

In the middlegame, the 27-year-old grandmaster stormed his e- and f-pawns at Black’s kingside, cracking it open and unleashing a whirlwind of attacking play. With just seconds on his clock, Dominguez defended with amazing verve and accuracy, holding off Dubov’s every threat. Just when it seemed that the American grandmaster would escape alive, his flag fell. 

After the game, Dubov shared his feelings about playing the white pieces: 

“You have to gamble with White. You have to win some games. 

"Some of the positions I don’t like actually. At one point, I looked at the board and realized: I have to give it my all and probably lose one more game.

"Even if I’m given the chance at a draw, I will never take it, clearly.”

Even if I’m given the chance at a draw, I will never take it, clearly.

—Daniil Dubov

Despite GM Nihal Sarin’s uber-aggressive intentions on the prodigy board―unleashing the notoriously risky King’s Gambit―his dynamic duel vs. GM Andrey Esipenko ultimately settled into a perpetual check. 

🚨🚨🚨 King's gambit Alert! @NihalSarin #GlobalChessLeague @GCLlive

♟️ https://t.co/xxnAPAnNag

📺 https://t.co/GWgoWbhQQO pic.twitter.com/BCHO442EHV

— Chess.com - India (@chesscom_in) June 27, 2023

Shuvalova snatched an extra pawn and then a free knight after GM Bela Khotenashvili overlooked a double attack in time pressure.  

As the round neared its end with Dominguez’s flag falling and Anand's win with Black, everything fell on the shoulders of GM Hou Yifan and Kosteniuk as the last game to finish. With a draw or win, Kosteniuk could seal a Titans victory while Hou faced a must-win position to save her team.  

Hou opted for an offbeat opening setup, allowing White uncontested control of the center in order to press on Kosteniuk’s weak points on the flanks. With early development of her queen, Hou set up a devious trap that Kosteniuk overlooked. Commentator GM Peter Svidler explains the shocking way that Kosteniuk could've evaded Hou's trap.

In the nick of time, Kosteniuk found a resourceful defense to give up her rook for the last of Hou’s pawns, finishing the game to a round of applause. 

It was official: the Chingari Gulf Titans, previously in last place, upset the first-place Ganges Grandmasters, boosting themselves into fourth place. 

Upgrad Mumba Masters 10-4 Triveni Continental Kings

Despite the ultimate score, this match was close until the last games finished. 

On the icon board, Vachier-Lagrave put a feisty twist on the Ruy Lopez with an early g4 and then the d4 center break without the customary c3 first. As the center opened with Aronian’s king still in it, the American grandmaster took a substantial think and then blitzed out the most accurate version to equalize. 

Vachier-Lagrave seems well prepared, using only five seconds as his opponent has under 10 minutes left!#GlobalChessLeague pic.twitter.com/nZFPcMiizV

— chess24.com (@chess24com) June 27, 2023

After a tornado of pawn captures in the center, GM Humpy Koneru emerged with an extra one, but GM Kateryna Lagno had sufficient activity to hold the ending. 

In the heat of battle, GM Alexander Grischuk discovered a brilliant tactical sequence to win material vs. GM Yu Yangyi. Take a guess at his idea in the puzzle below.

White to move. 

However, the game became the masterpiece that never was when Grischuk blundered in the ending, allowing his outside passer to be traded away and ultimately drawing. As commentator Samay Raina described: “It’s like building the most beautiful skyscraper and then faltering on the final story.” 

GM Vidit Santosh pressed a slight edge in an ending vs. GM Wei Yi. Though most of the game was balanced, Vidit overlooked one critical opportunity to play for the win. Can you find it? 

White to move.

Despite a couple of close calls, the match was still tied with all draws as the final two games raged on. 

It was the prodigy board that tipped the scales. GM Jonas Bjerre opted for the Najdorf Sicilian, which soon exploded into a wild all-board slugfest as the young grandmasters created threats against each other’s kings. In the end, Sindarov prevailed, surrounding the black monarch with his strongest pieces and claiming the first victory of the match. 

This thrilling battle of the prodigies is our Game of the Day, annotated by GM Rafael Leitao.

🌟 Sensation Sindarov shines on stage, claiming victory and leaving us in awe. Join us as he shares his post-match reflections! 🏆✨@RonnieScrewvala @upGrad_edu @suhailchandhok @akshayakalpa@viditchess @HarikaDronavali@humpy_koneru @Vachier_Lagrave@srinathchess @akaNemsko… pic.twitter.com/YZ25MgFlTG

— U Mumba (@umumba) June 27, 2023

IM Sara Khadem is a fresh face for the Kings, joining this round to replace GM Nana Dzagnidze, who has been granted exemption from the rest of the season for personal reasons. Khadem has chosen to compete despite recently receiving heavy news.

My dear Grandma passed away last night and today I gotta go over the board to play, Hope I can make her proud.

— sara khadem (@saraakhadem) June 27, 2023

With perceptive strategic play, GM Harika Dronavalli reached a superior ending vs. Khadem, eventually winning a pawn and converting the rook endgame. 

With this victory, the Mumba Masters claimed the match, going undefeated in every game. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 📸@RonnieScrewvala @suhailchandhok @upGrad_edu @GCLlive @akshayakalpa @Vachier_Lagrave @viditchess @srinathchess @akaNemsko @mgd1_esports @humpy_koneru @HarikaDronavali #MarhabaMumba | #UMumba | #upGradMumbaMasters | #TheBigMove pic.twitter.com/e16RwBFHNU

— U Mumba (@umumba) June 27, 2023

Global Chess League Standings After Day 6

Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2023 consists of a preliminary group stage and a final contested by the top two teams. In each match, members of the same team play with the same color. All games are in the 15+10 time control.

Previous Coverage

• • Cunning Carlsen, Unbeatable Praggnanandhaa Fall To Team Nepomniachtchi
  • Praggnanandhaa Carries Team Carlsen To The Top
  • Wei Yi, Team Anand Keep On Winning
  • Carlsen Beats Anand, But Ganges Grandmasters Strike Back
  • Anand, Hou Show Class Is Permanent As Global Chess League Begins
  • Carlsen, Ding, Anand, Hou Yifan: Big Names Added To Global Chess League Lineup