| UpGrad Mumba Masters | 7-8 | Alpine SG Pipers |
|---|---|---|
| GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 1-1 | GM Caruana, Fabiano |
| GM So, Wesley | 1-1 | GM Giri, Anish |
| GM Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar | 1-1 | GM Praggnanandhaa R |
| GM Koneru, Humpy | 0-4 | GM Hou, Yifan |
| GM Dronavalli, Harika | 1-1 | GM Batsiashvili, Nino |
| GM Daneshvar, Bardiya | 3-0 | GM Mendonca, Leon Luke |
The Alpine SG Pipers escaped with an 8-7 victory over the UpGrad Mumba Masters in Match 24 at the Royal Opera House. In a match dominated by draws across four boards, two decisive results created a nail-biting finish where Daneshvar’s brilliant win wasn’t enough to overcome Hou Yifan’s dominant performance for the Pipers.
Top Boards Deadlocked
The evening began with a flurry of draws as the game’s biggest names battled to stalemates. On the icon board, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana engaged in a tactical slugfest. The position exploded into chaos when both players pushed pawns deep into enemy territory. After queens came off and a pawn promoted, neither could break through. The draw after 40 moves set the tone for a tense evening.
Wesley So and Anish Giri produced another draw on board two, navigating complex tactics before reaching a simplified position. Despite creating imbalances, neither player could convert their chances, and the players shook hands after 33 moves with the match still level.
Board three saw Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Praggnanandhaa battle for 38 moves in a tense struggle. After Mamedyarov sacrificed material for attacking chances, Praggnanandhaa defended resourcefully. With neither able to find a breakthrough, repetition was inevitable—keeping the scoreline deadlocked.
Hou Delivers Crushing Blow
The first decisive blow came on board four, where Hou Yifan delivered a masterclass against Humpy Koneru. After building pressure methodically, Hou launched a devastating attack that overwhelmed White’s defenses. With her pieces perfectly coordinated, Hou’s threats became impossible to contain. The resignation on move 30 gave the Pipers a crucial four-point lead.
Harika Refuses to Fold
Dronavalli Harika battled valiantly against Nino Batsiashvili on board five, defending a difficult position for 75 grueling moves. Despite being under pressure for much of the game, Harika found every defensive resource, refusing to surrender. The marathon draw kept the Masters within striking distance, though still trailing by four points.
Daneshvar Strikes Back
The prodigy board delivered crucial drama for the Masters. Bardiya Daneshvar fought back against Leon Luke Mendonca with a brilliant attacking performance. After seizing control in the middle game, Daneshvar’s pieces swarmed forward with deadly precision. As Black’s position crumbled under relentless pressure, Mendonca’s resistance finally broke. The spectacular checkmate on move 62 gave the Masters three vital points and kept their hopes alive.
Winning by the Narrowest Margin
The final 8-7 scoreline perfectly captures this edge-of-your-seat thriller. With four draws creating parity across most boards, just two results determined everything. Daneshvar’s brilliant victory gave the Masters hope, but Hou’s dominant four-point performance proved to be the difference, delivering the narrowest of victories for the Pipers.
For the Alpine SG Pipers, this one-point escape demonstrates championship character—finding ways to win even when most boards are drawn. Hou’s crushing performance under pressure proved the difference between defeat and delight.
The UpGrad Mumba Masters will rue this missed opportunity. Despite Daneshvar’s heroics on the prodigy board, Koneru’s loss on board four cost them dearly. In a format where every point matters, losing by a single point after being so close stings particularly hard.
This match proved that in team chess, one dominant performance can outweigh multiple draws. Today, Hou Yifan’s four-point masterclass proved just enough to carry the Pipers over the line—but only barely.
