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Two weeks after 36 of the world’s best chess players found themselves in an uncharted area of the team environment, the fate of the first season of the World Chess League was ultimately decided by a one-on-one competition.
Jonas Pierre, a 19-year-old prodigy from Denmark, beat Javokir Sindarov, a 17-year-old genius from Uzbekistan, to help the Triveni Continental Kings to the GCL title.
For the Kings, this was a great comeback story for more reasons than one. Pierre had been beaten four times by Sindarov on the same Sunday, before winning the blitz. The Kings had been bottom of the standings in the six-team league just four days earlier, before planning their Final Four entry. The franchise was in turmoil from the start after world champion Ding Liren pulled out after the draft and had to be replaced by Levon Aronian hours before the league began. Then, they had to call up Sara Khadem as a replacement for Nana Dzagnidze midway through the tournament.
Often the best moves are the ones you don’t see ❤️#GlobalChessLeague #GCL # Hahaha #GlobalChessLeagueChamp1on pic.twitter.com/7LBiJsVAxi
Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCLlive) July 2, 2023
The final finish was initially supposed to be decided after two rounds of rapid chess where the team had to win both rounds. But with both teams claiming one win, tournament rules dictated that two rounds of blitz be played to find a champion. When that also saw a 1-1 tie, the team championship descended into the wracking nerves of a one-on-one sudden death match at blitz chess. To date, all competitions have been played across six boards. But sudden death was supposed to be just one player on each side deciding to compete.
At first, a servant is drawn to confront Harika Dronavalli. He paints! Next were Alexander Grischuk and Yu Yanji. Draw again! Then it was the turn of Katerina Lagno and Konero Hamby, who again could not make a breakthrough.
Throughout the tournament, players let their guard down in the team’s relaxed atmosphere. A video of Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen exchanging uncharacteristically baby-like smiles in the middle of a game as they try to swap pieces on the board has gone viral recently. Players like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Grischuk let themselves be mesmerized by kabaddi videos by upGrad Management Mumba Masters, who also owns the successful kabaddi franchise. It was this kind of heroism. Until Sunday came.
It’s wRAP from season 1 🔥#GlobalChessLeague #GCL # Hahaha #GCLonJioCinema #GrandFinaleGCLSeason1 pic.twitter.com/QjpxmbaEAd
Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCLlive) July 2, 2023
Blitz games can contain all the tension and mayhem of a Mexican showdown. One wrong move, and your cut off the board. It appeared that the fate of the title depended on one match. Grischuk’s normally silent fingers trembled as he made movements. Harika grabbed her face with both hands, unable to look at the event as Captain Srinath Narayanan did. Masters CEO Sohail Chandhok stood in front of the TV screen and muttered to himself.
Finally, when the end came, the league became a team sport again. But it was just the end of the league that was described as the “new era” that chess deserved.
“We’ve never had a chess tournament in such a way that team sports resemble team sports in well-established events like the Champions League in football or the Indian Premier League in cricket,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Kings 👑@employee #TriveniContinentalKings #GlobalChessLeague #GCL # Hahaha #GlobalChessLeagueChamp1on pic.twitter.com/PJvVEU6YLS
Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCLlive) July 3, 2023
Next Level League
Over the past two weeks, the league has gained huge eyeballs. Although the league managed to sign the broadcast to broadcast partners in several countries, GCL’s YouTube channel showed that more than 113,000 watched the final. The numbers for many other days streams were over 90,000.
From the point of view of Indian players, the league has already helped youngsters like Praggnanandhaa R, Gukesh D and Arjun Erigaisi remove cultural and age barriers with legends of the game like Carlsen, whom they were previously afraid of and reluctant to approach. . At GCL, the Indian trio spent hours over meals with the world No. 1, who was also playing practice games with them.
Watch out, world! We have our heroes 💥 @employee pic.twitter.com/vB2IyAL4mb
Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCLlive) July 2, 2023
“So far, this has been an excellent season. I will be very happy to play in the second season. This was a next-level event. The conditions were very good. This league is bringing new people into chess,” Prajnananda told the Indian Express. The teen likened the league’s playing conditions to being like “an esports-type arena with lots of cameras and lights”.
“Personal commitment to helping the league is growing”
Aronian, recruited at the last second to replace Liren, was one player who couldn’t stop talking about the format.
“Hopefully this will be a new era in chess. The league is going to grow. I felt a personal obligation to help the league grow because that’s a great thing for chess. It’s a very interesting format. This is the future. We were missing the World League. This was like the NBA in Chess. This is the real deal,” he told The Indian Express.
Asked what he found the most heartening thing he had seen in the league, the Armenia-born American chess player said: “Global companies investing in the event…we’ve never had that before. Chess was often sponsored by three or four men. You don’t really have the big comp. That’s what’s needed for the game to grow.
“I don’t think chess can last forever as a game for the rich. You have to start making money. All the best players are ready to give their best… We work hard and we want the game to reach the status it deserves.”
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