On Saturday the 5th October 2024, AlphaChess participated in their first ever event. We brought a team of 31 to the Open Blitz run by the Global Chess League, boasting a £1000 prize fund. This is how we did.
AlphaChess was delighted to be invited to enter a team in the open event at the Global Chess League, the world’s first official franchise chess league. The first round of the League, which features the biggest names in chess playing in six teams of six, started on Thursday 3rd October at Friends House, Euston. Two days later, our team, made up of 30 chess lovers from the London & Hertfordshire area, competed (in black) against Hammersmith Sharks, Eton College, King’s College London, Warwick Chess Society, She Plays to Win, UK Armed Forces and Durham Alumni in a 3+2 blitz arena on chess.com to reach an OTB final with a cash prize.
The arena tournament is one in which players are paired with other available players from different teams as many times as possible in a given time (in our case, 90 minutes), rather than one with a fixed number of rounds. Some of our players played 35 games in that time! We started slowly but by the halfway point were vying with King’s College and Eton for second; each of the teams held the place over a 15-minute period but then KCL dropped off a little and it was Eton and AlphaChess alternating in second to runaway leaders Hammersmith Sharks, who had five titled players in their squad. The open arena finished at 3pm, and in a curious occurrence given the number of people and points, we came joint second with Eton College.
In contrast to the online arena tournament, the play-off/semi-final was over-the-board and rapid (10+5) rather than blitz. The two team captains agreed on an 11-player game; AlphaChess won the toss and took white on odd numbered boards. Quiet descended on the internal courtyard where the games were played and the matches began. Eton had a UKCC terafinalist on board 1 and an England junior on board 2 but AlphaChess were stacked with England players and the result was not in doubt! The first three games to finish went to AlphaChess, there was a draw before another few wins and the final score was a resounding 8-3 victory.
In the break before the final against Hammersmith Sharks, most of the players took the opportunity to watch some of the main events. Luckily, this coincided with the match between Mumba Masters and Alpine Pipers, featuring Magnus Carlsen. The set up for the Global Chess League was different from the usual chess tournament - loud-coloured team shirts, coloured lights before the start, teams of three men, two women & a junior and games without increment. The moves get ridiculously fast as the time is running out. Seeing the pros right in front of them was a key part of a great experience - playing in the same venue - for most of the team.
The team didn’t have that long to enjoy the pros before returning for the final against Hammersmith Sharks. Their team featured two IMs, two FMs and a NM. AlphaChess took it to the wire (and won three games) but the titled players won three of the top boards and won the match 6.5-3.5 overall. Well done to the deserved winners!
Many of our players finished the day by watching the last match in the Global League. It was a fantastic first event for AlphaChess and we want to say a massive thank you to all our players for making it such a success.
While we narrowly missed out on first place after a fierce final against the Hammersmith Sharks, facing a team packed with titled players, our squad held their own and pushed the match to its limits. Finishing with a score of 6.5-3.5 against such formidable opponents was an admirable achievement.
Beyond the results, the event was an unforgettable experience for our players. Competing in the same building as some of the biggest names in chess, including witnessing Magnus Carlsen’s match in the Global Chess League, was a highlight for many. The unique environment of the League, with its lively atmosphere and rapid time controls, gave our team a glimpse of high-level chess on a global stage.