Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters are the only teams still with a perfect record at the Global Chess League in Mumbai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Triveni crushed PBG Alaskan Knights by 15 to 3 in game points to keep their clean slate while cupGrad Mumba Masters narrowly beat Fyers American Gambits by 9 to 7. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile Ganges Grandmasters scored their first victory of the season with a 13 to 7 win over Alpine SG Pipers. Fyers stayed on three Match Points. Alpine and PBG are still seeking their first match win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fyers American Gambits vs upGrad Mumba Masters (7:9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The opening match of the day was a clash between two teams who had both started with wins. The Gambits had edged out PBG Alaskan Knights 8\u20135 in game points in their opening tie thanks to Teodora Injac\u2019s lone victory, while the upGrad Mumbai Masters had been the most impressive team of the opening night, crushing the Ganges Grandmasters 17\u20134 in game points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fyers American Gambits chose to play with the White pieces and the match began quietly, with most positions balanced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first game to finish was on the second Superstar board, where Wesley So and Vladislav Artemiev followed a well-known line in the Italian Game. With the position equal and both aware of the team stakes, they agreed to a draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came the first big blow for the Gambits. On the first Superstar board, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov outplayed Richard Rapport in a complicated middlegame. Rapport is often the player who brings more surprise and creativity, but this time Mamedyarov took over that role, steering the game into a winning endgame and smoothly converting his advantage. upGrad scored an important three Game Points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hikaru Nakamura immediately looked at the screens to assess the situation. Seeing Rapport\u2019s loss, he knew he had to play for a win. Doing so with Black against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is one of the hardest tasks in the league, but the match situation left him no choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More bad news followed for the Gambits. On the prodigy board, World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin was outplayed by Daneshvar Bardiya. In a Ruy Lopez, Murzin went wrong early and had to defend an inferior position for most of the game. Daneshvar kept everything under control and scored the full point. With two victories and a draw, upGrad were close to securing the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This increased the pressure on Nakamura, who was pressing Vachier-Lagrave in a tense endgame. Under heavy time pressure, Maxime made a fatal error in an otherwise even position. Nakamura immediately jumped on the opportunity, won an exchange, and the rest was an easy ride. A win with Black brought the Gambits back into the match, with the Game Points score now standing at 7\u20135 for upGrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final word came from the women\u2019s boards. Bibisara Assaubayeva obtained a slightly better position against Humpy Koneru but could not make progress; Koneru defended accurately, and the game ended in a draw. On the other women\u2019s board, Harika Dronavalli pressed Teodora Injac for most of the game, but Injac put up stubborn defense and was rewarded with a half-point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the last handshake was made, the numbers told a very narrow story. The upGrad Mumbai Masters won the match 9\u20137 in game points and collected another three match points. After two days, they remain on a perfect score, building on their dominant start against Ganges. The Fyers American Gambits stayed on three match points from two matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n