GCL: Mumba Masters win 2nd game

Mumbai: A supremely confident upGrad Mumba Masters came up with another grand performance, beating Fyers American Gambits 9-7 to make it two wins on the trot and go top of the table in the Global Chess League here on Monday.

Ganges Grandmasters also mounted a stunning comeback to beat Alpine SG Pipers 13-7 with black for their first win of GCL Season 3.

After some initial pressure, upGrad Mumba steadied themselves with American GM Wesley So holding Vladislav Artemiev to a draw, which was followed by Koneru Humpy mounting a strong comeback to also split the point, keeping the scores level at 2–2.

The momentum swung sharply when Shakhriyar Mamedyarov outplayed Richard Rapport by patiently building a dominant position to give upGrad Mumba a 5–2 lead in a crucial spell.

Mamedyarov, who was named Player of the Match, said: “It was an amazing game, with sacrifices. A very good win for the team, and I hope to continue playing like this. Winning even one match feels great, so to win two in a row makes it very special.”