Fabiano Caruana's Alpine SG Pipers have clinched the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025 title, defeating the defending champions Triveni Continental Kings with a decisive 2-0 sweep in the final. The highly anticipated championship match took place at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai, India, on December 23, 2025, marking the end of the league's third season. The Pipers' victory concluded a nine-day tournament that featured six top teams competing for a $1,000,000 prize fund.^[1][2][3][4] ### Pipers Dominate Final Matches The Alpine SG Pipers secured their maiden Global Chess League title by winning both rapid matches against the formidable Triveni Continental Kings. In the first match, the Pipers achieved a 4-2 victory.^[4][5][6] Grandmaster Anish Giri was a standout performer for the Pipers, orchestrating a masterclass against Wei Yi.^[5][6] Although Alireza Firouzja, the Kings' icon player, outplayed Fabiano Caruana in a sharp tactical battle in the first game, the Pipers' collective strength ultimately prevailed.^[5][6] The second match saw the Alpine SG Pipers extend their dominance, securing a 4.5-1.5 victory to seal the championship.^[4][5][6] Fabiano Caruana turned the tables on Firouzja with a brilliant positional win in this crucial match.^[4][6] Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa also delivered a key win against Vidit Gujrathi, showcasing a crisp 35-move tactical display.^[5][6] Anish Giri continued his stellar form, winning both of his games in the final, earning him the title of Player of the Final.^[2][5][6] ### A Season of High Stakes The 2025 Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, a joint venture by FIDE and Tech Mahindra, ran from December 14 to December 23.^[2][3] Six teams, each with six players, competed in a double round-robin group stage.^[2][3] The top two teams then advanced to the winner-takes-all final.^[1][7] The Triveni Continental Kings had dominated the preliminary stage, finishing with an impressive nine-point lead.^[1][7] However, the final round reset all previous advantages, placing both teams on equal footing for the championship decider.^[1][7] Despite his team's loss in the final, Alireza Firouzja was recognized as the Male Player of the Season for his exceptional performance throughout the tournament.^[2] Hou Yifan from the Alpine SG Pipers was named the Female Player of the Season.^[2] The Alpine SG Pipers' roster included other strong players like Nino Batsiashvili, Leon Luke Mendonca, and Hou Yifan, whose contributions were vital to their victory.^[1][8][6] Their triumph marks a successful return to the final for the Pipers, who had been runners-up in the 2024 edition.^[7] ### Third Place and Future Events In the battle for third place, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju's PBG Alaskan Knights emerged victorious. They defeated Viswanathan Anand's Ganges Grandmasters in a dramatic clash.^[1][4][7] The Alaskan Knights came from behind, losing the first rapid match but striking back in the second.^[4] They secured third place by winning both blitz tiebreak matches, completing a remarkable turnaround after starting the season with four consecutive losses.^[1][4][7] The total prize fund for the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2025 was $1,000,000.^[3][4] The Alpine SG Pipers, as champions, took home $390,000.^[3] This season was the third iteration of the FIDE-organized rapid chess league.^[2][4] With the conclusion of this event, many of the players will now prepare for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, scheduled to begin in Doha, Qatar, in just three days.^[1]

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