Sicilian dragon

Dominant Mumba Masters: With four wins across the six boards, Mumba Masters delivered a dominant performance in front of the “home” crowd, overpowering Ganges Grandmasters 17–4 in a one-sided encounter on the opening day of the Global Chess League (GCL).

Earlier, at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House, reigning champions Triveni Continental Kings set about their title defence with a 9-7 win over Alpine SG Pipers.

Kings and Pipers kicked off GCL Season 3, with the spotlight was firmly on the icon clash between Alireza Firouzja and Fabiano Caruana, where Caruana opted for an aggressive Sicilian Dragon as Black, chasing the extra point on offer. The risk backfired, as Firouzja steadily seized control, sacrificing material to build a dominant position before converting with authority in the endgame. Earlier, Pipers had struck the first blow of the season when Nino Batsiashvili defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk with Black, pressing home a central advantage and time edge to secure a crucial four-point win.