The Unlikely Upset of Bengaluru: How Chess's Global Stage is Shaping Up Magnus Carlsen, the reigning World No.
1, suffered his first loss in the 2026 Global Chess League (GCL) at the hands of Alireza Firouzja on Saturday.
This defeat marked a turning point for Sindarov's American Gambits, who had been clinging to an outside chance of qualifying for the finals.