**Shocking Upsets Rock the Global Chess League**
In a day filled with dramatic twists and turns, the Global Chess League witnessed two major upsets as chess titans Magnus Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja suffered defeats. Meanwhile, the PBG Alaskan Knights continued their impressive run, securing a convincing victory over the Ganges Grandmasters.
The upGrad Mumba Masters pulled off a stunning 14-5 win against the favored Alpine Sg Pipers, thanks in large part to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s triumph over Carlsen. The Norwegian grandmaster blundered in a combination, allowing Vachier-Lagrave to capitalize and claim victory. The Pipers fought back, but ultimately fell short as the Mumba Masters dominated the match.
In the second match of the day, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings were dealt a 14-5 defeat by the American Gambits. Firouzja, who had been undefeated until this point, suffered a shocking loss to Hikaru Nakamura in an even rook endgame. The Triveni team struggled throughout the match, with Valentina Gunina erring in a winning position and Wei Yi failing to capitalize on a better position.
The PBG Alaskan Knights, meanwhile, extended their lead at the top of the standings with a 15-4 win over the Ganges Grandmasters. Despite an early defeat, the Alaskan Knights rallied to win on three boards, with Anish Giri defeating Vishwanathan Anand and Alina Kashlinskaya confidently beating Nurgyul Salimova.
With six victories in seven matches, the PBG Alaskan Knights are comfortably in first place, six points ahead of Triveni and Alpine Sg Pipers. However, Giri remains cautious, acknowledging that there is still work to be done to secure a spot in the finals.
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