The American Gambits, led by Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Elisabeth Paehtz, achieved a crucial 10-4 victory against Viswanathan Anand's Ganges Grandmasters on Sunday in the opening round of day four at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. With four losses in five matches, Anand's team is now facing significant challenges.
Before this match, the American Gambits were at the bottom of the standings with only one win in three matches. The Ganges Grandmasters, with one win in four matches, were just above them.
The coin toss determined that the Gambits would play with the white pieces. On the 'Icon' board, Nakamura surprised Anand with an unexpected opening move. Despite the early challenge, Anand equalized quickly, and the game remained balanced.
However, as the game progressed, Anand sacrificed his queen for a rook and a bishop, aiming for a defensive setup called a "fortress." Nakamura maintained pressure, and Anand, under time pressure, eventually lost.
Nakamura commented after the match, "My focus was just on this match, because whoever lost would be out of contention to win the event."
On the women's board, Ganges' Nurgyul Salimova launched an attack against Paehtz's king, but Paehtz defended well and emerged victorious, giving the Gambits an edge.
On the second 'Icon' board, Parham Maghsoodloo secured a draw against Wei Yi through a series of rapid moves, leading to a threefold repetition.
Other matches saw Bibisara Assaubayeva and R Vaishali drawing their game, as well as Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Arjun Erigaisi, and Jonas Bjerre and Volodar Murzin also ending in draws.
The final score was 10-4 in favor of the American Gambits. This win gives Nakamura's team two victories out of four matches. The Ganges Grandmasters, with four losses in five matches, need to find a way to stop their losing streak.
