‘It was a shame’: Viswanathan Anand after early loss to Magnus Carlsen praises India’s ‘love of chess’

Viswanathan Anand lost on time to Magnus Carlsen (GCL Photos) BENGALURU: In the fast-moving world of chess, many concepts have evolved over time. “Flagging” is one of them. Generally, this refers to winning a game purely on time when the opponent’s clock reaches 0:00, regardless of the score on the board. From the perspective of players and spectators alike, it’s a tense, chaotic climax where speed trumps strategy.On Monday, exactly that high-wire drama took center stage during Day 3 of the marquee clash between Magnus Carlsen of the APL Pipers and Viswanathan Anand of the Alaskan Knights on the Icon Board. With the seconds ticking away in a tight mid-game battle, Anand failed to hit the clock in time, allowing Carlsen to grab the early win.“A couple of moves ago I had a few seconds more than him, so somehow my brain stopped looking at the clock and I didn’t have a second left,” Anand told reporters after the opening match of the day. “Once I make a move, I get some time, but apparently I let the clock run out. It was a shame, but I’m glad the team won.”Despite the loss, Anand’s team achieved an overall victory. “I’m not satisfied with my game, but at least it didn’t cost us,” added the five-time world champion.Current world number one Magnus Carlsen also showed his side of a dramatic finish against his arch-rival.“I felt like I was playing him a little bit in the middle game. I was pretty happy with the position from the start and then I was a little unsure again when I had a little time,” Carlsen said.“He was defending very, very well for a while there, he didn’t make it any worse, and then I obviously resigned myself to a draw. Then I happened to look at his clock and saw that it was out. That’s how it goes sometimes at times like that.”Later, in Pipers vs. Gambits, Carlsen also raised eyebrows by uncorking 3…f6 against World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov before holding him for a draw.Carlsen explained the unexpected move, adding: “The (idea) originally came from my coach. It was a misclick, and then he started looking at it. I like the general idea of ​​making a random move at the beginning and then with computer analysis you can do pretty much anything. The main idea is that after castles, a6, it’s actually not that bad.”Despite his own “fearless” form, Carlsen expressed deep appreciation for the crowd in Bengaluru, saying: “It’s very nice to play here. Chess in India is huge. It’s great to see and I definitely want to come here and experience the love people have for chess.”

What happened on day 3 in the GCL

Day three brought intense action in four team face-offs. The Alaskan Knights edged the Alpine APL Pipers 9–7 in the first game of the day, but the Pipers bounced back later with an impressive, one-sided 15–3 win over the American Gambits. Meanwhile, Mumba Masters dominated Ganges Grandmasters 12–3 while Triveni Continental Kings secured an 11–6 win, their first of the tournament, over Alaskan Knights in the final match of the day.After Day 3 results, the APL Pipers hold the top spot with 9 match points, closely followed by Mumba Masters, American Gambits and Alaskan Knights with 6 points each. Ganges Grandmasters and Triveni Continental Kings round the bottom of the table with 3 match points each.TeamPlayedWonDawn LostMatch PointsGame Points1APL Pipers43019432Mumba Masters42026363American Gambits42026344Alaskan Knights42026305Ganges Grandmasters41033286Triveni Continental Kings11

GCL 2026: Schedule for Day 4, Tuesday, September 8

3:30 p.m.: Gang Grandmasters vs Alaskan Knights17:00: American Gambits vs Mumba Masters18:30: Triveni Continental Kings vs. APL Pipers20:00: American Gambits vs Alaskan Knights