London, Oct 8 (PTI) Mumba Masters secured a vital 14-5 win over Alpine Sg Pipers on day six of the Global Chess League here on Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the Pipers’ chances of closing in on the top two teams.
Despite a strong start to the season, Mumba Masters struggled and lost five matches, including a heavy 4-12 defeat to the Pipers, earlier in the event.
But this time, they bounced back decisively to climb from the bottom of the standings to fourth place, just behind the Pipers.
The match began with a quiet draw on the women’s board between Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru, but the momentum soon shifted dramatically.
Former world champion Magnus Carlsen, playing on the icon board for the Pipers, blundered against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, suffering a shock loss that left him visibly shaken as he stormed out of the playing area.
In response, Pipers’ Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa launched a fierce attack against Vidit Gujrathi’s black king, securing a crucial win to keep his team in the contest.
Peter Svidler then recorded his first victory of the tournament, defeating Richard Rapport with the black pieces.
However, the tide continued to turn against the Pipers as Kateryna Lagno narrowly escaped defeat, drawing with Harika Dronavalli after the latter ran out of time.
The final blow came when Daniel Dardha was defeated by Raunak Sadhwani in a tense rook endgame, sealing victory for the Mumba Masters.
The result keeps the league standings wide open, with upGrad Mumba Masters making a crucial move up the table while Alpine Sg Pipers miss the chance to close in on the top two teams. PTI AM TAP AH AH
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