Crazy day of chess! Carlsen loses, boosts Sindarov’s GCL hopes, only to be denied
Magnus Carlsen suffered his first GCL 2026 defeat as Alireza Firouzja's Triveni Continental Kings upset APL Pipers, but the result failed to alter the standings. Home favourites American Gambits briefly revived their qualification hopes before losing to Pipers. Nihal Sarin's defeat on time ended their finals bid, setting up a third-place clash with Mumba Masters on Sunday.
Bengaluru witnessed a thrilling day in the preliminary rounds of the 2026 Global Chess League (GCL) on Saturday. While some teams had already been eliminated, American Gambits' hopes of qualifying for the finals were reignited by a stunning victory. The young Gambits player, Javokhir Sindarov, played Magnus Carlsen to a draw after earlier drawing with him himself, marking his first win of the tournament.
Trailing behind the top two, Ian Nepomniachtchi's Ganges Grandmasters and Magnus Carlsen's APL Pipers, American Gambits came agonningly close to securing their place in the final round. However, their luck ran out when they narrowly missed out on an eight-point victory, ultimately finishing fifth in the double round robin stage.
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