Global Chess League 2025 Day 3: Anand Beats Gukesh; Top Teams Suffer Losses

Viswanathan Anand's victory over Gukesh Dommaraju propelled the Ganges Grandmasters into a four-way tie for the lead in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025. Day 3 saw both of the leading teams stumble, despite Alireza Firouzja's win over Hikaru Nakamura and Vachier-Lagrave's victory against Fabiano Caruana on the top boards.

Late-game comebacks by Volodar Murzin and Leon Mendonca on the prodigy boards proved decisive. Richard Rapport's impressive win over Vidit Gujrathi was selected as the Game of the Day.

• After Day 3, the standings are:
• Ganges Grandmasters (Anand): 12-3 vs PBG Alaskan Knights (Gukesh)
• Triveni Continental Kings (Firouzja): 8-10 vs Fyers American Gambits (Nakamura)
• Alpine SG Pipers (Caruana): 9-7 vs upGrad Mumba Masters

Previously leading teams, upGrad Mumba Masters and Triveni Continental Kings, both lost, allowing the Ganges Grandmasters and Fyers American Gambits to catch up with six match points each. The PBG Alaskan Knights are still seeking their first point.

Anand, who aided Gukesh in his 2024 World Championship victory, seized his opportunity after two prior losses. "Not the best start, but I think today was very nice!" Anand stated, expressing his continued excitement in competing against top players. He described the tension as essential, stating it keeps him fully alert, like walking into a minefield.

In his game, Anand established a firm grip on the queenside, steadily increasing his advantage. Javokhir Sindarov refused a draw by repetition and defeated Leinier Dominguez, while Polina Shuvalova secured her third consecutive win against Kateryna Lagno.

While the Alaskan Knights remain winless, the Ganges Grandmasters joined the leaders. The other two teams were expected to maintain their lead, but they both suffered defeats in closely contested matches.

Alireza Firouzja, who once achieved five consecutive wins, has started this year with three straight, defeating the world number three, the world champion, and now the world number two. His performance has been exceptional.

Against Nakamura, Firouzja's unusual opening led to a prolonged squeeze, with the game tilting in his favor after a queen exchange. Alexander Kosteniuk capitalized on Teodora Injac's time trouble to deliver a checkmate, positioning the Triveni Continental Kings for another victory.

That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the Fyers American Gambits, benefiting from the advantage of playing with the black pieces (worth four points for a win), secured victory through two key wins. Rapport's brilliancy, 25...Qg3??, overlooking the pawn on d7, led to Vidit's inability to defend against checkmate on g2. This play earned Rapport the Game of the Day honor, with analysis provided by Rafael Leitao.

Murzin sealed the Continental Kings' fate after initially appearing to be in a difficult position when Marc'Andria Maurizzi played 20.Bb6!. Murzin complicated the situation and ultimately capitalized on his opponent's time trouble.

A similar scenario unfolded in the final match of the day.

For much of their match, the Alpine SG Pipers seemed poised for their first win, but they only secured it after a tense battle. Hou Yifan secured her first win with a powerful attack against Koneru Humpy.

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu seemed certain to win against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov but was forced to accept a draw by repetition in a complex four-rooks position. Vachier-Lagrave's win in a complicated endgame against Caruana added to the drama.

Victory appeared secured for the upGrad Mumba Masters, but Leon Mendonca delivered a checkmate on the prodigy board against Bardiya Daneshwar, who had won his previous two games. Daneshwar's 45...Nc5? proved to be the decisive error.

Day 4, on Wednesday, December 17, will begin at 6:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 CET / 5 p.m. IST and will feature Triveni Continental Kings (Firouzja) against Ganges Grandmasters (Anand).

The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025 features a six-team double round-robin group stage, culminating in a final between the top two teams. Each match involves all team members playing with the same color, with wins with Black earning four points and wins with White earning three. All games have a 20-minute time control, with a two-second increment starting from move 41.