Five-time world champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen played out a draw in the top duel as the second edition of the Global Chess League kicked off in London on Thursday.
The PBG Alaskan Knights, American Gambits, and Alpine SG Pipers started with wins on the opening day.
Carlsen, Anand, Arjun, Giri and co. promise to make Global Chess League season 2 unmissable
The opening match of the season was played between the American Gambits and season one runners up - Mumba Masters, with the Gambits securing a 11:6 victory. On the Icon board, reserved for the league's strongest players, world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura, playing with white, secured a hard-earned draw against France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Nakamura described his performance as "shaky" but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "I think as the event goes on, we'll build more chemistry. Everyone's in a pretty good mood, and today we played really well... "My game was maybe a little shaky at times, but everybody seemed to play well, so I'm actually pretty optimistic. As the event goes on, we'll continue to get better."
While Nakamura drew, his teammate, 26-year-old Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda, delivered a decisive win. Duda defeated Vidit Gujrathi with a checkmate combination, earning him the title of Player of the Match.
Elsewhere, Yu Yangyi played out a draw against Peter Svidler in a balanced contest between seasoned grandmasters. However, it was on the lower boards that the American Gambits secured their victory.
Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva upset India's Humpy Koneru, while Harika Dronavalli started with a win for Mumba Masters by defeating German GM Elisabeth Paehtz. Jonas Buhl Bjerre capped off the Gambits' commanding win by defeating Mumba's Raunak Sadhwani.
Alphine SG Pipers triumph; Vishy Anand draws with Magnus
The second match of the day saw the Ganges Grandmasters, playing with White, face the Alpine SG Pipers. Despite the colour disadvantage, the SG Pipers triumphed with an 11:6 victory, thanks to wins by Richard Rapport and Hou Yifan.
The top duel of the day featured a showdown between two five-time World Champions in Anand and Carlsen. The game ended in a draw, with Carlsen managing to steady the ship after a tough middlegame.
Nothing to separate the ��'s!#TheNextMove #TechMGCL #GGvSG@GangesGMs | @AlpineSGPipers | @MagnusCarlsen | @vishy64theking pic.twitter.com/c23ORg3zev
- Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) October 3, 2024
Alpine SG Pipers' Richard Rapport's victory came after a tense battle with Iranian grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo, where he turned the tables despite White's early initiative.
Ganges' Vaishali Rameshbabu put up a fight against former women's World Champion Hou Yifan but ultimately lost. International Master Nurgyul Salimova salvaged some pride for the Ganges Grandmasters by defeating the experienced blitz and rapid player Kateryna Lagno. On the junior board, the match between Volodar Murzin and Daniel Dardha ended in a draw.
Defending champs Triveni Continental Kings start with loss
The final match of the day saw the defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, face the PBG Alaskan Knights. Despite having the first-move advantage, the champions were caught off guard as the Alaskan Knights had a dominant 15:3 victory.
On the Icon board, 21-year-old Alireza Firouzja saved a lost position against Anish Giri, preventing an even more devastating loss for his team. The Alaskan Knights claimed three victories on the superstars' boards and drew the remaining two, finishing the match without a single defeat.