At Alpine SG Pipers, a great team comes with caveat – 3 for Candidates

AFTER the second day of the Global Chess League on Monday, just when Alpine SG Pipers’ team bus had pulled up at the hotel to drop the players off, Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri were sitting side by side next to the door.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

Alireza Firouzja (L) took down V Anand on Day Four of the Global Chess League on Wednesday. Firouzja won his fourth game on the trot for Triveni | GCL

They were engaged in conversation like two old friends, catching up on life and chess.

Somewhere in that bus, likely behind them, was R Praggnanandhaa, the other Super GM in the team. The franchise has somehow lucked out on a collection of trio of chess superstars. By some coincidence, they will all be playing in the 2026 edition of the Candidates. While none of them are saying it out loud, it has quietly crossed their minds. For example, when Praggnanandhaa was asked about it during an interaction with select journalists, he was mindful of Caruana’s presence in the room. “I’m not going to give you any names (of coaches I will be training with),” he had said during that interview. At that exact time, he and Caruana exchanged a quick glance and a smile.