Triveni Continental Kings saved their best for the last. In the final of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, they defeated PBG Alaskan Knights to retain the title. They won the two matches in the final by margins of 9-7 and 13-7. In the preliminary stages, the Kings had lost both encounters against the Knights and qualified for the final as the second-placed team.
Alexandra Kosteniuk was the star of the final played in a venue called Friends House in London. Playing on Board 4 for her team, the former world champion in the classical and rapid versions defeated Tan Zhyongi 3-0. The Kings were trailing 4-5 before that game. After Kosteniuk’s win, both games were drawn.
One of the two draws pitted India’s Nihal Sarin against Javokhir Sindakov of the Kings on Board 6, featuring the under-21 players of the two teams. Sarin was the lone Indian in the final. He ended up a part of the runner-up side. The bigger news for him was he was adjudged the best male player of the tournament. The women’s award went to Sarin’s Knights teammate Alina Kashlinskaya.
Alireza Firouzja had given the Kings a wining start by beating Anish Giri on Board 1 in a clash of the ‘icon’ players that each team had. Firouzja won 3-0, but Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Wei Yi 4-0 to hand the Knights the edge. The third game was drawn and so were the last two. This made Kosteniuk’s win the decisive factor.
Kosteniuk defeated Zhongyi again in the second final. This time the margin was 4-0. Zhongyi is also a former world champion in the classical and rapid formats. The Chinese won the women’s Candidates earlier this year and will take on reigning champion in the final. To defeat her twice was crucial. This made Kosteniuk, the Russian who represents Switzerland, the Player of the Final.
The second final didn’t start well for the defending champions. Firouzja lost 0-3 to Giri and Teimur Radjabov went down against Shakriyar Mamedyarov by the same margin on the third board. Wei Yi’s 4-0 win against Abdusattorov kept the Kings in the match.
That’s where Kosteniuk scored that important 4-0 win against Zhangyi on Board 4. Valentina Gunina consolidated the position for the Kings by getting the better of Alina Kashlinskaya in another 4-0 verdict. Sarin played out a draw against Sindakov.
GCL final
Match 1: Triveni Continental Kings bt PBG Alaskan Knights 9-7
Match 2: Triveni Continental Kings bt PBG Alaskan Knights 13-7
Prize money
Triveni Continental Kings: $500,000
PBG Alaskan Knights: $250,000