GCL: Gukesh, Arjun lead PBG Alaskan Knights to first win; Triveni Continental Kings top table

Mumbai, Dec 18 (PTI) World champion D Gukesh and compatriot Arjun Erigaisi delivered in a must-win situation to help PBG Alaskan Knights register their first win in the Global Chess League (GCL) here on Thursday.

In another match, GM Alireza Firouzja registered a fifth consecutive win on the icon board to ensure defending champions Triveni Continental Kings go on top of the table at the halfway stage of the tournament.

Continental Kings defeated upGrad Mumba Masters 9-5 in the top of the table clash to take sole lead with 12 match points, while Alaskan Knights got the better of Alpine SG Pipers 12-8 in a contest that saw all the six boards ending decisively.

In the last match of the day, Ganges Grandmasters got the better of Fyers American Gambits 8-7 to move to third spot with nine match points.

The highlight of the day was how Gukesh and Arjun led the turnaround for last edition runners-up Alaskan Knights.

Having lost their first four matches, Alaskan Knights faced a must-win situation against Pipers as another loss at the Royal Opera House on Thursday would have all but ended their hopes of challenging for the top two position.

They opted to play white after winning the toss and Arjun gave them early advantage by beating Anish Giri on the second board.

But Pipers' in-form players Nino Batsiashvilli and Leon Luke Mendonca won with black to put the pressure back on the Knights.

Gukesh, who had struggled in the tournament so far, then came to the party with a clinical finish to beat Fabiano Caruana in 39 moves and then Leinier Dominguez got the better of R Praggnanandhaa and Kateryna Lagno defeated Hou Yifan to complete the score-line.

Gukesh said, "It's a very special feeling to get my first win. From the start, we felt we were in control, but towards the end a few things became tricky.

"When I looked at the other boards, Dominguez's game seemed around even, maybe slightly better for him, so I knew I had to push for a win. By then, I already had good chances and my opponent was running low on time." Arjun, who was named the Player of the Match, said, "It was a special win as none of us had won any match so far and we won four today." Earlier in the day, Alireza pounced on Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's error to maintain his all-win record.

After the Continental Kings opted to play black after winning the toss, Maurizzi Marcandria and Alexandra Kosteniuk could not convert their early advantage as all the other boards ended in a draw.

This meant that Alierza needed to win against his compatriot to put his team in the lead. He took the fight to Maxime by opting for a Najdorf variation of Sicilian defense.

Despite being under time pressure, Alireza kept the pressure on his opponent and when Maxime blundered by moving his knight to d5, the 22-year-old Iranian-born GM pounced on the opportunity and forced the Mumba Masters' icon player to resign after 52 moves.

In the day's final match, 2025 World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov defeated Richard Rapport with black pieces to claim four game points, while Viswanathan Anand drew against Hikaru Nakamura on the icon board. PTI ATK ATK AH AH