There are some barriers that take no time to cross, and then there are those that remain standing for a lifetime. For two-time World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, that barrier has always been Magnus Carlsen. The five-time World Champion denied him the world title in Dubai in 2021. Then came the famous, or rather infamous, shared World Blitz title in 2024, after Nepomniachtchi once again failed to get past the Norwegian wall.

On Sunday, Nepomniachtchi finally had his moment, defeating Carlsen in front of a packed, passionate Bengaluru crowd to lead Ganges Grandmasters to the 2026 Global Chess League title. Nepo’s win not only gave Ganges their first GCL crown but also denied Alpine APL Pipers their title defence and deprived Carlsen of a team title, the only significant gap in his glittering cabinet.

For a player of Carlsen’s stature, after ruling world chess for years, he found himself in an amusing position. He failed to take his team to the title in the first two seasons, and the Pipers won the league only in the year he decided to skip it. Nepomniachtchi and his Ganges side ensured that status quo remained for the Norwegian.


In the two-match final, Ganges floored the pre-event favourites and defending champions, Pipers, in the second and final round, 4.0-2.0, after the first clash ended in a 3.0-3.0 draw.

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Ganges Grandmasters with the trophy in Bengaluru.

In the summit clash, Ganges were very close to gaining a decisive edge in the first round following the lead given by the most experienced man in the team, Levon Aronian, who defeated Anish Giri. But Volodar Murzin, the second-youngest World Rapid Champion, was the clutch player the Pipers needed to deliver.

With all five boards in the first set ending with the Pipers trailing 2.0-3.0, Murzin needed to strike with the black pieces to ensure the Pipers did not concede a lead to Ganges. Under pressure and with one less pawn, Murzin turned the game around in the dying seconds, beating Leon Luke Mendonca on the Prodigy board, helping Pipers shut the gate as the round ended in a 3.0-3.0 draw.

In the second round of the final, two of the most experienced players in the Pipers squad, Carlsen and Koneru Humpy, disappointed and lost their respective games as the Pipers could only come agonisingly close to defending their title.

Ganges Grandmasters with the trophy in Bengaluru.

Nicknamed “Greekgoddess” by Ganges coach Adhiban Bhaskaran, Stavroula Tsolakidou was the pick of the players for the champions. She scored 21.5/37 and was adjudged Player of the Tournament for her phenomenal play on the Superstar Women board.

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For someone who started with just a solitary win in her first five games, including three crushing losses, Tsolakidou had been a revelation for Ganges Grandmasters. She notched up five wins in her last seven games, ending a winless streak that had stood for seven games.

The Greek credited coach Adhiban for the turnaround. “Adhiban, the beast, was there. He was super great. He reminded me what my strengths are. He reminded me that I should enjoy. It could go really hard as I was losing games after games. He reminded me why we play chess after all,” said Tsolakidou.

Earlier, Nihal Sarin made a big comeback from the heartbreak of Saturday, when he lost to Pranesh M, a defeat that knocked FYERS American Gambits out of the final race at the hands of CheQ Mumba Masters. On Sunday, Nihal got his revenge in style, defeating the same opponent not once but twice, ensuring Gambits walked away with a podium finish in front of the home crowd.

(The writer is in Bengaluru at the invitation of Global Chess League)