The world number one, Magnus Carlsen, is experiencing an unusual underperformance in the six-team $1m Global Chess League. Two qualifiers from the group stages will face off in the double-round final on Saturday (2.30pm BST start, live on kick.com). The Norwegian, who exuded optimism in a pre-tournament interview, has unexpectedly struggled, with only two wins after nine rounds and a 4.5/9 points total.
The franchise-based league aims to popularize international chess as a mainstream spectator sport with live television coverage. It has adopted a 20-minute time limit per game without the usual two-second increment per move, leading to frantic time scrambles in several games, with arbiters noticeably absent. A spectating grandmaster likened games without increments to 'football without yellow and red cards'.
Carlsen's controversial second-round loss to Alireza Firouzja, a leader of the new generation, sparked his poor run. Despite being in control on the board and clock for most of the game, Carlsen's thought process in the final moves seemed disorganized. He had a bishop pair and a 30-second time advantage, which should have allowed him to flag his opponent. However, Carlsen lost on time despite being a queen ahead, due to a rule stating that a time forfeit wins if it is legally possible to construct a mating position.
After nine of the 10 rounds on Thursday, PBG Alaskan Knights had won seven matches and were already qualified for the final. PBG's leader, Anish Giri, has a 50% score, while the team's other five players all have positive scores. No rival team can match such consistency.
The final group stage match on Friday afternoon (5.05pm BST start) between Alpine Sg Pipers and Triveni Continental Kings will determine who meets Alaskan Knights in the final. This match also features the return game between Firouzja and Carlsen following their controversial encounter at the start of the tournament.
Carlsen needs a win for a positive score and revenge, while Firouzja needs a win to confirm his supremacy on the top board. The game could also decide which team reaches the final. Firouzja leads the tournament with 6.5/9, a significant achievement as the Global Chess League is officially rated by Fide for its monthly rapid list.
Firouzja has jumped from world No 11 to No 5, and is within easy range of No 2. He is already No 2 behind Carlsen in Fide blitz ratings. Gukesh Dommaraju, favored to capture the world crown from Ding Liren in Singapore next month, is up to No 4 in the classical list and closing in on the No 2 spot.
For Carlsen to remain No 1 in all three time control formats, followed by Gukesh as No 2 in classical and Firouzja as No 2 in rapid and blitz, would be seen as a statement of true strength at the peak of world chess, potentially sparking mega-bids for showdown matches.
The Global League includes two women's boards, featuring a rare appearance by Hou Yifan, the all-time No 2, who now has an academic career. Hou was rusty but scored 6/9, including an elegant win against the current women's world championship challenger, Tan Zhongyi.
The Global Chess League concludes on Saturday, followed by the WR Masters Cup in London on Monday. Unlike the Global League, the WR Masters has local participation, including England's youngest ever grandmaster, Shreyas Royal, and nine-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivananandan.
Meanwhile, the US Championship starts on Friday in St Louis, with the holder and world No 3, Fabiano Caruana, facing a strong field including Hans Niemann. The London Classic returns in late November at the Emirates Stadium, featuring an invitation GM tournament and other events for players of all standards.
