Mumbai, Dec 22 (NationPress) The Ganges Grandmasters have kept their aspirations for the finals alive with a dominant 12-3 victory over the Fyers American Gambits during their final league match of Season 3 in the Global Chess League (GCL) held at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai on Monday.

However, their progression to the finals now hinges on the PBG Alaskan Knights ability to stop the winning streak of the Alpine SG Pipers in the concluding group stage match later that day. The Grandmasters currently share 15 points with the Pipers, although the latter has a game in hand.

Should the Pipers win or draw against the Alaskan Knights, or score a minimum of six points even in a defeat, they will surpass the Grandmasters due to a better game score. The Alaskan Knights also have hopes of clinching the second spot if they secure victories in all six games utilizing black pieces.

The Grandmasters executed their strategy flawlessly to maintain their finals hopes.

As the final day commenced, the Pipers, Grandmasters, and Mumba Masters were all vying for the second spot, with the Ganges Grandmasters being the first to compete against the American Gambits.

In the iconic match, Viswanathan Anand played as white and drew against Hikaru Nakamura of the American Gambits. However, Vincent Keymer on the second board provided a significant boost by defeating Vladislav Artemiev in 39 moves, while Raunak Sadhwani, the player of the match, triumphed over World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin in 42 moves, cementing their advantage.

Stavroula Tsolakidou then clinched the victory over Teodora Injac, increasing pressure on rival teams.

The Mumba Masters faced a challenging encounter against the top-ranking Triveni Continental Kings with black pieces. Although Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Bardiya Daneshvar secured victories, the team ultimately lost 10-9, eliminating them from the race for the second spot.