Zhu Jiner beat Kateryna Lagno to star for Triveni Continental Kings.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Magnus Carlsen showed his magnanimous side on Friday. The World No. 1 was presented with the Player-of-the-Match trophy after Alpine APL Pipers scored a crucial win against Fyers American Gambits at the Lalit Ashok.
He, however, handed over the trophy to his teammate Vidit Gujrathi, crediting the Grandmaster from Nashik for the 9-7 victory in the match between the two top teams at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.
Carlsen, who beat Javokhir Sindarov, said: “In my game, I was doing pretty well early on but Sindarov put up a good fight. I was able to wriggle out and find the win. As much as I am happy with my win, I don’t deserve the award as much as the man who won us the match.”
That statement was greeted with loud applause by the crowd. Vidit said he was honoured by Carlsen’s gesture.
The five-time World champion wasn’t the only one who was feeling generous on this day. Ganges Grandmasters’ Stavroula Tsolakidou was named the Player-of-the-Match for her win against Carissa Yip of Cheq Mumba Masters. She, however, presented the trophy to the team’s coach B. Adhiban.
The Grandmasters romped home 16-1, with five of the six players winning their games. Going into the final day of the league phase, they have 18 points, the same as the Pipers. But the Grandmasters have 88 points, six more than the Pipers.
The two franchises are inching closer to the final, with only the American Gambits, who are on 15 match points, having an outside chance, but it is not in their hands alone.
The results: PBG Alaskan Knights lost to Triveni Continental Kings 7-13 (Anand drew with Firouzja; Arjun bt Wei; Erdogmus bt Aravindh; Lagno lost to Zhu; Batsiashvili lost to Kosteniuk; Abhimanyu lost to Pranav).
Alpine APL Pipers bt Fyers American Gambits 9-7 (Carlsen bt Sindarov; Giri drew with Nihal; Vidit bt Dubov; Divya lost to Assaubayeva; Humpy drew with Sarasadat; Murzin drew with Maurizzi).
Ganges Grandmasters bt Cheq Mumba Masters 16-1 (Nepomniachtchi bt Vachier-Lagrave; Aronian bt Pranesh; Perez bt Mamedyarov; Shuvalova drew with Harika; Tsolakidou bt Yip; Mendonca bt Daneshvar).
Published – September 11, 2026 10:45 pm IST
