Sports
Anand Suffers Time Loss to Sindarov After Rejecting Draw Offer in Global Chess League
Viswanathan Anand's rough patch at the 2026 Global Chess League continued on Tuesday as the five-time world champion suffered two losses in a single day, with the most painful coming against 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov. Anand, representing Alaskan Knights, had already faced a difficult Monday, losing on time to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and later drawing with Alireza Firouzja of Triveni Continental Kings.
Tuesday offered no respite. Anand first resigned to Ian Nepomniachtchi earlier in the day, then lost on time to Sindarov in the evening despite having winning chances. Playing White, Anand had held an advantage at one point in the game, but struggled to manage his clock as time pressure mounted in the rapid format.
Adding to the frustration, Sindarov had offered a draw during the game, which Anand declined, believing he could still convert his position into a win. "It's just a comedy of errors. He offered a draw when he played 43...Re4+. But it seemed to me that his pieces had no coordination, so I tried to play for win," Anand told reporters, visibly disappointed after the defeat.
"And then, it's madness. I think even at the very end, I must have had a draw, but I went with 70.Kxd4+. I already blundered allowing 73.Rf8...Rc4+, and I can't take on B4," he explained. When asked about the reasons behind his recent struggles, Anand admitted he had no clear answer. "I don't know. If I knew, I would do something," he said.
Sindarov, who is preparing for a world championship challenge later this year, expressed mixed feelings about his own play despite the win. "Generally happy with the performance but not happy with the game. In the opening, I played very well, but then I made a big mistake. I started thinking for five minutes to find the best moves, but in this time control, it's always hard to find all the best moves," he said.
Sindarov confirmed he had offered the draw and admitted relief when Anand turned it down. "I saw the screen. I was just hoping my position wasn't too bad. But then I saw they were losing, and I was very happy when he didn't accept my draw. I thought, 'Okay, I need to go all in — I will win or lose.'"
With both players down to seconds on the clock, Sindarov said he sensed a psychological shift in his favor. "I started to understand he felt a little nervous when his time went below one minute, and somehow I took this psychological advantage. I started pushing, and he missed my last trick," he said.
Despite defeating Anand twice in as many games, Sindarov downplayed any suggestion of a personal edge over the veteran. "No, I'm just lucky to win both games," he said. "It's always good to play against Anand — great practice against a world champion."
Asked to assess Anand's level at age 56, Sindarov was full of praise. "He's world-class," he said. "There are only a few players who can perform at this level so close to 60 years old. That's why he was one of the best."
Day 4 recap in Bengaluru
The day began with Ganges Grandmasters defeating Alaskan Knights 12-8. American Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra's game against Leon Luke Mendonca ended in controversy after an illegal move and clock confusion cost Mishra a likely win.
Mumba Masters defeated American Gambits 11-6 in the day's second match, while Triveni Continental Kings beat Pipers 10-4. The highly anticipated clash between Magnus Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja ended in a draw, though Continental Kings secured victories on other boards. Before the event, Carlsen had jokingly said he wanted to "flag the s*** out of Alireza Firouzja," though that outcome did not materialize. The match still drew significant attention as the arena filled through the evening.
In the day's final match, Anand's Alaskan Knights fell to American Gambits 9-12.
Upcoming fixtures for Day 5 (Wednesday, September 9) include Mumba Masters vs APL Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters vs Triveni Continental Kings, Alaskan Knights vs Mumba Masters, and Triveni Continental Kings vs American Gambits.