The penultimate day of the Global Chess League (GCL) league stage witnessed high drama and pivotal victories, reshaping the race for the finals. The standout performer was three-time women's world champion Hou Yifan, whose twin wins with the black pieces powered the Alpine SG Pipers to two crucial wins, catapulting them to second place on the points table.
Hou Yifan's Decisive Double Strike
Starting the day in fifth position, the Alpine SG Pipers' hopes of reaching the final hinged on winning both their Sunday matches. Hou Yifan delivered under immense pressure, securing the Player of the Match award in both encounters. She first defeated Koneru Humpy of the Mumba Masters and then handed Bibisara Assaubayeva of the American Gambits her first loss of the tournament.
In a critical endgame against Assaubayeva, Yifan spent nearly six minutes calculating before blitzing to a winning pawn-king endgame. "I felt like it was a very critical moment when the game goes to a critical endgame. That's why I thought I will take time and think it through. I had nine minutes and that was enough to calculate," Yifan explained. Her victories were especially valuable as a win with black pieces gives a team four game points, compared to three for a win with white.
Defending Champions Seal Final Berth
Meanwhile, the Triveni Continental Kings emphatically sealed their third consecutive final berth with a dominant 14-5 victory over the Ganges Grandmasters. This win took them to an impressive 21 match points from seven wins in nine matches. Player of the Match Alireza Firouzja bounced back from two losses on Saturday to defeat the legendary Viswanathan Anand in 48 moves with a spectacular queen sacrifice using the black pieces.
The Kings' women's stars, Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Kosteniuk, also won with black pieces to secure the result. The sole bright spot for the Ganges Grandmasters was Javokhir Sindarov, the 2025 World Cup winner, who defeated Vidit Gujarathi in a rook-knight ending.
Final Spot Up for Grabs on Last Day
The day's results have set up a thrilling final day of the league stage. The Mumba Masters' hopes suffered a major blow as they lost both their matches. Despite Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beating world champion D Gukesh on the icon board, they fell 8-10 to the PBG Alaskan Knights. Leinier Dominguez and Sara Khadem secured crucial wins for the Knights.
Now, the battle for the second final spot is wide open. The Alpine SG Pipers (15 points) are in pole position, but the Mumba Masters (12 points) and the Ganges Grandmasters still have mathematical chances. To qualify, Mumba Masters must beat the already-qualified Triveni Continental Kings and hope the Alaskan Knights can stop the Pipers. The Ganges Grandmasters need a huge win over the American Gambits and favourable results elsewhere.
The stage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the Global Chess League's league phase, with multiple teams fighting for one remaining place in the grand finale.
