Pipers stun the Knights in GCL

Hou Yifan scored a crucial win for Alpine SG Pipers to stop PBG Alaskan Knight’s winning run at the Global Chess League

LONDON

For once, the Knights were made to dance to somebody else’s tune. That of the Pipers, fittingly enough.

Alpine SG Pipers’s 9-7 victory at the Friends House here on Monday finally ended the dream of PGB Alaskan Knights. It was the first defeat for the Knights after winning all their five games. The wins by Hou Yifan, over her fellow-Chinese Tan Zhongyi and Kateryna Lagno against Alina Kashlinskaya proved crucial.

Knights, however, still maintained their pole position, with 15 match points. Triveni Continental Kings, which defeated Upgrad Mumba Masters 10-8, and Pipers are on 12.

The results: Triveni Contiental Kings bt Upgrad Mumba Masters 10-8 (Alireza Firouzja bt Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; Yi Wei lost to Vidit Gujrathi; Timour Radjabov drew with Peter Svidler; Alexandra Kosteniuk bt Koneru Humpy; Valentina Gunina lost to D. Harika; Javokhir Sindarov drew with Raunak Sadhwani).

Alpine SG Pipers bt PBG Alaskan Knights 9-7 (Magnus Carlsen drew with Anish Giri, R. Praggnanandhaa drew with Nodirbek Abdusattarov; Richard Rapport drew with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov; Hou Yifan bt Tan Zhongyi; Kateryna Lagno bt Alina Kashlinskaya; Daniel Dardha lost to Nihal Sarin).

(The writer is in London at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)