Global Chess League: Nihal’s draw stands, SG Pipers’ appeal to reverse result rejected

The draw Nihal Sarin made with Daniel Dardha, in Sunday’s match in the Global Chess League between PBG Alaskan Knights and Alpine SG Pipers, stands. Nihal was in a winning position but was badly short of time when he claimed the draw and the arbiter approved it. Though both the players agreed on the result, an appeal was made by Pipers later on

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, the Icon player of Pipers, alleged on X that Nihal made several illegal moves and the arbiter never stepped in.

According to the chairman of the appeal committee and FIDE delegate Victor Bologan, the appeal was partially upheld. “The arbiter should have given a warning during the game,” he said. “If that was given, and Nihal continued making rule violations then there could have been a loss handed to him. The appeal that the result be overturned has been rejected by the appeals committee.”

Bologan said the result could not be overturned because the arbiter didn’t act in the best way. “If there was already a warning, and after that if there was an illegal move, then we could take a decision based on the fact that this action directly influenced the result,” he said. “There were no proper illegal moves made by Nihal, but illegal situations were provoked by him dropping the pieces and pressing the clock.”

(The correspondent is in London at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)