Ganges Grandmasters Win the Global Chess League 2026

Ganges Grandmasters won the Global Chess League 2026 in Bengaluru, beating Alpine APL Pipers 7-5 in the final as Ian Nepomniachtchi beat Magnus Carlsen.

Ganges Grandmasters are the champions of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2026. In the final in Bengaluru they beat Alpine APL Pipers by 7 points to 5 over two legs. It is their first league title.

The first leg of the final was very balanced and finished level at 3-3. Levon Aronian beat Anish Giri for Ganges, but Volodar Murzin beat Leon Luke Mendonca for the Pipers, and the other four games were drawn.

The second leg decided the title. Ian Nepomniachtchi beat Magnus Carlsen on the top board, and Stavroula Tsolakidou beat Koneru Humpy. Those two wins gave Ganges a 4-2 victory in the second leg and the trophy.

FYERS American Gambits took third place by beating CheQ Mumba Masters in the playoff. Nihal Sarin won both of his games against Pranesh M in that match.

Stavroula Tsolakidou was named Player of the Tournament. Her win against Humpy in the final was one of several excellent results during the week, and it came just weeks after she beat Cairns Cup champion Tan Zhongyi in St. Louis.

The league also had a twist at the end of the group stage. Ganges finished first, and the Pipers reached the final only after CheQ Mumba Masters beat the Gambits in the very last league match. Their Indian stars Vidit and Koneru Humpy had played a big part in getting them that far.

There is a lesson in the first leg of the final. A 3-3 draw in the first match did not mean the final was even. It meant everything was still possible. Ganges stayed patient, played solid chess, and found two wins when it mattered most. In team events, as in individual games, staying calm in a tense situation is often the key to success.

Congratulations to the Ganges Grandmasters on a well-deserved title.