Tech Mahindra GCL 2025 Day 5: Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and PBG Alaskan Knights end their win drought

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/12/2025

Triveni Continental Kings has emerged sole leader at the halfway mark of the double Round-Robin stage of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025. Their coleaders upGrad Mumba Masters suffered 5-9 loss against TCK, allowing the latter to move to 12/15. Alireza Firouzja (TCK) scored his fifth consecutive win of the event. He defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (uMM) which turned out to be the key result as the remaining five games ended in draws. PBG Alaskan Knights scored their first win of the event against Alpine SG Pipers as the World Champion, D Gukesh, World no.5 Arjun Erigaisi, also won their first game of the event. Leon Luke Mendonca (ASGP) completed a hat-trick of wins as he defeated Daniel Dardha (PBG AK). Today will be the first three-days consisting of four matches. Round 6 starts today at 3:30 p.m. IST with Fyers American Gambits vs PBG Alaskan Knights. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Triveni Continental Kings gain sole lead

Being a World Champion means the spotlight is always on even when you do not want it to be on. After a rough start in the first four rounds, D Gukesh (PBG AK) scored his first win of the event against Fabiano Caruana (ASGP) in Round 5. Not only that, Arjun Erigaisi, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Kateryna Lagno scored a win each. It resulted in PBG Alaskan Knights' first win of the season against the stacked Alpine SG Pipers. Use code CBIGCL to get 20% Off when you buy tickets on District. Link is at the end of the article.

Team PBG Alaskan Knights is all smiles after four of their six players won individual games, resulting in team victory too

Match #13: upGrad Mumba Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings: 0-3 (5-9)

Alireza Firouzja (TCK) scored his fifth win in-a-row. This time, he defeated World Blitz 2021 champion, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (uMM). Thus, he managed to beat the 'Icon' player of all the remaining five teams of the event. The remaining five games ended in draws. It means, Firouzja's win turned out to be the decisive factor in Triveni Continental Kings winning the match and gaining sole lead 12/15.

Alireza Firouzja (TCK) has managed to beat all five 'Icon' players of his opponent teams

Harika - Kosteniuk

Position after 57...f4

Instead of taking it as who blundered and missed here, if we take it as a general opposite color bishop endgame, it is definitely worth a longer thought. White has two ways to defend the h3-pawn. Only one of them saves the day, the other one loses. Find out which is correct.

GM Harika Dronavalli (uMM) and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (TCK) had an interesting opposite color bishop endgame

Triveni Continental Kings defeated upGrad Mumba Masters to gain sole lead

Replay uMM - TCK games

upGrad Mumba Masters - Triveni Continental Kings: 0-3 (5-9) | Graphic: Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

Match #14: Alpine SG Pipers - PBG Alaskan Knights: 0-3 (8-12)

The entire team of PBG Alaskan Knights struggled to score a win both as a team and individuals till the fourth round. That changed in Round 5. World Champion D Gukesh (PBG AK), Arjun Erigaisi (PBG AK), Leinier Dominguez Perez (PBG AK) and GM Kateryna Lagno (PBG AK) scored a win each against Fabiano Caruana (ASGP), Anish Giri (ASGP), R Praggnanandhaa (ASGP) and GM Yifan Hou (ASGP) respectively. GM Nino Batsiashvili (ASGP) and Leon Luke Mendonca (ASGP) are the only two victors for their team against IM Sara Khadem (PBG AK) and Daniel Dardha (PBG AK) respectively.

Gukesh - Caruana

Position after 31.Nd2

31.Nd2 Rb8? 32.f4 Kh7 33.Rf1 exf4 34.Rxf4 Rf8 35.Nf3 Nh5 Black just loses material 36.Nd4 Qd6 37.Nxe6 Qxe6 38.Rg4 Ne5?? 39.Nc7 Qe7 40.Qxe5 and it's over. The World Champion, D Gukesh has finally scored his first win of the event.

D Gukesh - Fabiano Caruana, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

World champion Gukesh beats Fabi as crowd erupts | Video: ChessBase India

Interview with D Gukesh | Video: ChessBase India

World Champion D Gukesh (PBG AK) defeated World no.3 Fabiano Caruana (ASGP)

World Champion D Gukesh (PBG AK) is all smiles after his first win of the event

Arjun - Giri

Position after 21.Bxh6!

Arjun Erigaisi (PBG AK) wrecked Anish Giri's (ASGP) kingside 21.Bxh6! gxh6 22.Qf4 Rg5 23.Rxg5 hxg5 24.Qxg5 Nh7 25.Qh5 and it's over.

Arjun Erigaisi (PBG AK) scored his first win of the event in style against Anish Giri (ASGP)

Dardha - Leon

Position after 44...c4

Leon Luke Mendonca (ASGP) captialized 44...c4 on his opponent Daniel Dardha's (PBG AK) blunder 44.h4?? Black gained the knight in the next few moves 45.bxc4 dxc4 46.Qc3 Rd3 47.Qc2 Rb2 and it's over.

Leon Luke Mendonca (ASGP) scored a hat-trick with a win over Daniel Dardha (PBG AK)

Replay ASGP - PBG AK games

PBG Alaskan Knights bounced back strong with an 8-12 win over Alpine SG Pipers after suffering one of the biggest losses in the history of GCL | Graphic: Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

Match #15: Ganges Grandmasters vs Fyers American Gambits: 3-0 (8-7)

FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (GG) scored the lone victory for his team against Richard Rapport (FAG). That turned out to be crucial in Ganges Grandmasters victory over Fyers American Gambits by 8-7 in the closest match of the event so far. GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (FAG) scored the lone win for her team against IM Polina Shuvalova (GG). The remaining four games ended in draws.

FIDE World Cup 2025 winner - Javokhir Sindarov (GG) made a short work of Richard Rapport (FAG) in just 22 moves

Replay GG - FAG games

Ganges Grandmasters - Fyers American Gambits: 3-0 (8-7) | Graphic: Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

For more Match #13, #14 and #15 photos, please click here.

Replay live stream

Replay Round 5 live commentary by IM Tania Sachdev, GM Harshit Raja, GM Sahaj Grover and IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 5 games

Standings after Day 5

Triveni Continental Kings has taken sole lead 12/15 | Graphic: Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

Day 6 matches

Match #16: Fyers American Gambits vs PBG Alaskan Knights - 3:30 p.m. IST

Match #17: Alpine SG Pipers vs Triveni Continental Kings - 5 p.m. IST.

Match #18: upGrad Mumba Masters vs Ganges Grandmasters - 6:30 p.m. IST.

Match #19: Triveni Continental Kings vs PBG Alaskan Knights - 8 p.m. IST.

Scoring System for Game Points (GP)

4 GP (3+1)	A player wins the Game with Black Pieces
3 GP	A player wins the Game with White Pieces
1 GP	Draw
0 GP	Defeat

Scoring System for Match Points (MP)

3 MP	The team that scores more Game Points
1 MP	If both teams are level on Game Points
0 MP	The team that scores lesser Game Points than the opponent

Links

Buy tickets

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Tech Mahindra: Official site, facebook, twitter, youtube and linkedin

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