Nepomniachtchi defeats Carlsen in GCL final as Ganges Grandmasters claim maiden title in Bengaluru
Ian Nepomniachtchi beat Magnus Carlsen in the final match of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League in Bengaluru, a result that secured Ganges Grandmasters their maiden title, the outcome reported on October 10, 2026.
Nepomniachtchi told The Hindu he returned to the Global Chess League after missing the last two editions because of visa issues in 2024 and skipping the previous year, having played the inaugural 2023 event; he described the GCL as “really fun for players” and said its format — where colours for the first part are decided by toss and a win with black yields four points while a win with white gives three — introduces different imbalances compared with classical chess.
On the Bengaluru crowd, Nepomniachtchi said there were full houses and active cheering across most days and contrasted that with Dortmund, where older spectators sometimes doze in the front row: “Everyone can hear this, but not arbiters. Jokes aside, I think the audience here is very respectful. I would never hear any sound from them during the games.”
Discussing the upcoming World championship between D. Gukesh and Javokhir Sindarov, he said: “The World championship match is always very special. It is like an hourglass.” He noted recent form concerns for Gukesh, saying the Indian has “lost roughly 90 Elo points or so” over the past 16 or 17 months and “has dropped way down from being the World No. 3,” while adding that “Sindarov starts as a huge favourite” but he would rate the chances about “65 to 35.”
On the demands of a world title match, Nepomniachtchi warned that preparation is extensive: “The match is always tough. It is probably not the match itself. Playing itself is the easiest part, because it is what you are used to doing since childhood. But the preparation takes three months or even half a year or so. You basically live a very different life from what you normally do.” He also recalled wanting Hikaru Nakamura to qualify for his own match and described Ding Liren’s early shakiness before recovering in the middle of their contest.
Reflecting on his 2021 World Championship match with Magnus Carlsen, he said he had worked on his chess and fitness but suffered extreme fatigue: “So, basically, my brain just fried. And in Game Six, I committed a couple of blunders. And I let him into this very unpleasant ending, which I surely didn’t want to appear.” He added that playing for a win can lead into unknown territory and that lack of rest affected simple calculation.
Asked about younger players, Nepomniachtchi praised Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, recounted playing a classical game against 12-year-old Faustino Oro and being impressed by his opening knowledge, and mentioned Roman Shogdzhiev as a promising player; he also linked wider constraints on Russian chess to the Ukraine war, noting that Russia cannot play in tournaments like the Olympiad. On political expression he said, “As a citizen, I think it is fine to have your position.”