Ace Indian chess player Vishwanathan Anand, who was representing the Ganges Grandmasters, defeated Chingari Gulf Titans' Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Thanks to Anand and four-time women’s world champion Hou Yifan, Ganges Grandmasters beat the Gulf Titans 10-4 in the Global Chess League.
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The win was even more special for the Indian star as he played his first competitive game in eight months.
Speaking to Indian Express, Anand said,
It was a nice game and there were bits of it which I was very proud of. But I did notice one or two inexact moves slip in, especially after I made them. You make them and then realise and think ‘I wish I had seen the other move earlier.
On playing and winning against a young opponent like Duda who is 10 years younger than Anand, he opined,
Of course, you have to say this year Duda has been playing incredibly well. I was very happy to start off on the right foot. I’ll take any win, but winning against Duda was extra nice.
Winning the toss, Ganges Grandmasters chose to play all their boards with white. The Global Chess League rules suggest that if a player playing with white wins he earns three points while a winner with black earns four points. The players get one point each if it is a draw.
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