Global Chess League 2025 Day 1: Firouzja Stuns Caruana

The third season of the Global Chess League (GCL) kicked off in Mumbai with a stunning upset by GM Alireza Firouzja, who defeated GM Fabiano Caruana with a brilliant sacrifice. In another key match, GM Wei Yi secured a win against GM Anish Giri, contributing to a successful start for the two-time defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings.

Out of the world's top 15 chess players, 14 are competing in this year's GCL. GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave led the upGrad Mumba Masters to a dominant 17-4 victory over the Ganges Grandmasters, defeating GM Viswanathan Anand in the process.

The final match of the day saw a draw between GM Hikaru Nakamura and World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. IM Teodora Injac's win allowed Nakamura's American Gambits to narrowly defeat the Alaskan Knights.

The Global Chess League, which originated in India, is hosting its third season in Mumbai after previous seasons in Dubai and London. The Royal Opera House is the venue for the competition, which features almost all of the chess elite. A notable change this year involves the "icon" player, or team leader, for each of the six franchises.

The only major player absent in 2025 is world number one, GM Magnus Carlsen, who led the Alpine SG Pipers in 2024. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the Pipers acquired world number-three GM Fabiano Caruana as a replacement. Meanwhile, the PBG Alaskan Knights, previously led by Giri, now feature World Champion Gukesh as their icon player.

The remaining icon players are the same as last year. Nakamura made it to Mumbai after becoming a father.

The format remains largely unchanged: each team has six players, including two women and one junior player. They will face each other twice over nine days, with the top two teams competing in the final. The scoring system remains innovative, awarding four points for a win with Black and three points for a win with White, discouraging draws.

The biggest change to the format involves the time control. While it remains 20 minutes per player per game, a two-second increment has been added after move 41, reducing the likelihood of chaotic endgames.

Teams earn three points for a match win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. Day one concluded with decisive results in all three matches.

The Triveni Continental Kings retained Firouzja, Wei, and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk after bidding wars on draft day. Despite Kosteniuk's loss to GM Nino Batsiashvili, the team still secured a victory thanks to strong performances from its other veteran players. Wei Yi, fresh off his FIDE World Cup final appearance, continued his success in India with a victory over Giri. Firouzja's win over Caruana was the highlight of the match, featuring a surprising piece sacrifice that left Caruana with no defense.

Five of the women's top 10 players are absent, including Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the world's top two female players, GMs Hou Yifan and Zhu Jiner, are participating. Zhu Jiner nearly secured a more decisive victory for Triveni, but a miscalculation in a queen endgame prevented her from capitalizing on her advantage.

The upGrad Mumba Masters dominated the Ganges Grandmasters. GM Raunak Sadhwani's early blunder allowed GM Bardiya Daneshvar to gain a significant advantage. Vachier-Lagrave defeated Anand with the black pieces. IM Polina Shuvalova continued her strong performance from the FIDE Women's World Team Championship with another win. Despite a brilliant sacrificial game, GM Vincent Keymer was only able to draw against GM Wesley So. In a dramatic game, GM Javokhir Sindarov, fresh from winning the World Cup, initially gained an advantage against GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov but ultimately lost after a series of misplays.

The match between the American Gambits and the Alaskan Knights was closer. The most anticipated game was between Nakamura and Gukesh. The game ended in a 34-move draw, but not without its moments. Gukesh appeared to gain an advantage in the middlegame, but Nakamura later turned the tables. Ultimately, Nakamura was content with a draw, given the overall match situation. Nakamura also received congratulations for the team's win and for the birth of his child. Injac's victory over IM Sara Khadem secured the win for the American Gambits. Although GM Leinier Dominguez had an advantage against GM Richard Rapport, he was unable to convert it into a win, which would have given the Alaskan Knights the match victory.

Day two will begin on Monday, December 15, at 6:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 CET / 5 p.m. IST, featuring a match between the American Gambits and the upGrad Mumba Masters.