Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Dec 18: After the second day of the Global Chess League, an interesting subplot unfolded off the board involving Alpine SG Pipers’ formidable trio — Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri and India’s R Praggnanandhaa. As the team bus arrived at the hotel, Caruana and Giri were seen engrossed in conversation like long-time friends, while Praggnanandhaa, the third Super Grandmaster in the squad, was seated elsewhere — a quiet reminder of the unique dynamic within the team.

The franchise has fortuitously assembled three of the world’s elite players, all of whom are set to compete in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. While none of them openly speak about it, the shared future challenge has not gone unnoticed among the trio. During an interaction with select journalists, Praggnanandhaa carefully chose his words when asked about his Candidates preparation, particularly with Caruana present.

“I’m not going to give you any names,” the Indian GM said with a smile, before adding that he was currently focused on enjoying his time in the league rather than thinking too far ahead. A brief exchange of glances between him and Caruana hinted that the Candidates was, at the very least, on everyone’s mind.

Anish Giri described the situation as a “poker-like” dynamic. “We discuss things and exchange information, but it’s like showing one card each,” the Dutch GM said. “You know that the other person knows what you know. If you share something about a particular line, the other might wonder why you’re revealing it. All three of us prepare very hard.”

Giri added that the rare opportunity to interact with players at a similar level and in the same competitive position makes such discussions both tempting and tricky. “You want to talk about preparation, but you can only go so far. There’s this constant balancing act in our conversations,” he noted.

Caruana echoed similar sentiments, saying that while the arrangement is not inconvenient, a certain level of restraint is necessary. “We can’t really say what openings we’re working on. You never know how important that information could be later, so it’s better to keep some things close to your chest,” the US GM said.

On the board, the trio played out draws in their respective games against Fyers American Gambits on Wednesday. However, Alpine SG Pipers still secured a convincing 10-4 victory, thanks to wins by Nino Batsiashvili and Leon Mendonca.

“It’s remarkable that we have this team,” Giri said, summing up the unique chemistry within the squad. As the Global Chess League progresses, the trio may continue to watch their words carefully, but their immediate focus, as Praggnanandhaa stressed, remains firmly on winning the league.

Results (Day Four):

Alpine SG Pipers 10–4 Fyers American Gambits

Triveni Continental Kings 11–6 Ganges Grandmasters

UpGrad Mumba Masters 18–2 PBG Alaskan Knights