World number one Magnus Carlsen ran out of time and lost to Alireza Firouzja, as reigning champions Triveni Continental Kings secured a decisive 17-4 victory over Alpine SG Pipers in Season 2 of the Global Chess League on Friday.
The match initially seemed balanced, with computer evaluations showing equality across the boards halfway through the time control.
Richard Rapport struck first for the Pipers, launching a powerful attack against Teimour Radjabov, giving his team an early lead.
Soon after, former women’s world champions Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk agreed to a draw, pushing Pipers to a 4-1 advantage.
However, the momentum shifted when Carlsen, despite finding a weakness in Firouzja’s position, was defeated by the clock.
Firouzja’s time advantage became critical, leading to Carlsen’s rare time loss and handing Triveni the lead.
R. Pragnanandhaa’s defeat to Wei Yi further strengthened Triveni’s dominance, and the Pipers ultimately crumbled on the remaining boards, resulting in a crushing defeat.