Archive · 15 Sep 2026
Leon Mendonca Wins Consecutive Global Chess League Titles
Ganges Grandmasters won the Global Chess League championship.
They beat Alpine SG Pipers in a final played over two matches.
The first match ended in a 3-3 draw.
In the second match, Ian Nepomniachtchi took advantage of a mistake by Magnus Carlsen.
Stavroula Tsolakidou then won her game against Koneru Humpy.
That victory gave Ganges Grandmasters enough points to win the title.
Leon Luke Mendonca celebrated because he had also won the league last season with another team.
Tsolakidou was named the tournament’s best player after scoring 21.5 points.
Ganges Grandmasters defeated defending champions Alpine SG Pipers 7-5 in the two-leg final in Bengaluru.
The final was tied 3-3 after the opening leg before Ganges Grandmasters won the second leg.
Ian Nepomniachtchi overcame a positional error by Magnus Carlsen in a decisive final-leg game.
Stavroula Tsolakidou sealed the championship by defeating Koneru Humpy.
Tsolakidou was named Player of the Tournament, while Leon Luke Mendonca won his second straight title with a different team.
- Who
- Ganges Grandmasters, Alpine SG Pipers, Leon Luke Mendonca, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Magnus Carlsen and Stavroula Tsolakidou were central to the event.
- What
- Ganges Grandmasters won their first Global Chess League title by defeating Alpine SG Pipers 7-5 in the final.
- When
- The final took place on Sunday during Global Chess League Season 4.
- Where
- Bengaluru.
- Why
- Ganges Grandmasters won after Nepomniachtchi defeated Carlsen and Tsolakidou defeated Koneru Humpy in the decisive second leg.
- Champion
- Ganges Grandmasters
- Final score
- Ganges Grandmasters defeated Alpine SG Pipers 7-5
- Opening-leg score
- The first leg ended in a 3-3 draw
- Player of the Tournament
- Stavroula Tsolakidou
- Tsolakidou’s performance
- 21.5 points from 12 games, including six wins and three draws
- Leon Luke Mendonca
- Won consecutive Global Chess League titles with two different teams
- Third place
- FYERS American Gambits defeated CheQ Mumba Masters 7.5-4.5