GCL 2026: Nepomniachtchi gives Carlsen a scare before getting past Sindarov on the clock

On GCL 2026 night, I sat before the screen in Saint Petersburg, watching Ian Nepomniachtchi squeeze Magnus Carlsen for the majority of their clash. I have followed Nepo since his prodigy days, through two World Championship matches, through the most painful defeats. And tonight, in the fourth season of the Global Chess League, the old bird again reminded me of that Luzhniki night in 2026, when Akinfeev stood firm against the Spanish storm. The context of this season was not easy for Nepo. Before the tournament, his form was heavily questioned. Whispers about a player past 35 slowing down spread across chess forums. But tonight, against Carlsen - the man nicknamed 'the monster' with slippery defensive skills - Nepo showed he still has his predatory instincts intact. The game against Carlsen followed a script I have seen hundreds of times in my career: Nepo building pressure, slowly strangling the opponent with coldly precise moves. 'Stranglehold' - the word organizers used to describe the position - is actually not an advantage measurable by engines. It is an invisible pressure that only those who have sat across from Nepo can feel. But Carlsen, as always, slithered out of the trap. A draw. I remember their encounters in Candidates tournaments, where Nepo once made the whole world hold its breath. There were moments when he was like a poet composing a masterpiece on the board - every move a verse, every position a stanza full of metaphor. But then, like a cruel fate, he would destroy his own masterpiece with an impatient move. Tonight was the same. He could not convert his dominant position into a win against Carlsen. But what surprised me was how Nepo stood up right after. Instead of drowning in regret, he walked into the game against Javokhir Sindarov - one of the brightest young talents from Uzbekistan - and won using the clock itself. 'Beating Sindarov on the clock' - that phrase made me pause. This was not a victory through tactics or brilliant endgame play. This was a victory of experience, of knowing how to manage time when your opponent is nearly 20 years younger. Sindarov, as I have observed through many tournaments, is a player with the potential to become world champion. But tonight, he learned a lesson no school can teach: in rapid chess, the clock is more ruthless than any opponent. When you are young, you think you can calculate everything. But time never takes sides. And Nepo, with 35 years of top-level experience, knows exactly how to turn the clock into his deadliest weapon. Even more interesting was the performance of Polina Shuvalova - the young Russian woman who won three consecutive games for Fyers American Gambits. While Nepo struggled to find his form, Shuvalova is flying high like a young bird learning to soar. Three straight wins, contributing to Fyers' first loss of the season. I look at her and remember myself years ago - a young chess player full of desire, afraid of no one. The current standings show a fascinating three-way race: Fyers American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters and Alpine APL Pipers all tied on six match points. But Fyers leads on game points, an advantage that could decide the title when the season concludes. I have seen too many teams lead early and then drop the championship in the final rounds. Chess, like football, never hands the trophy to the leader after the third round. In my office in Saint Petersburg, where I have written thousands of chess articles, there is an old photo of Nepo from 2026, when he was a promising 15-year-old. Today, watching him compete, I realize that age does not diminish a great player's fighting instinct. It only makes them smarter in choosing their battles. Nepo could not beat Carlsen with youth, but he could beat Sindarov with wisdom and experience. One thing I want to emphasize to young readers following GCL: do not underestimate older players. They may not be as fast as before, but they understand better than anyone that chess is a battle of patience, of knowing when to wait for the right moment, and most importantly - knowing how to turn the clock into an ally. Nepo did exactly that tonight, and that is a lesson more valuable than any victory. As the season continues, I will closely follow Nepo's comeback. Is this the beginning of a renaissance, or just a rare bright night among dim days? I am not sure. But I know that, as I wrote in my column 'Stories in the Grass', old birds never truly land. They only rest on high branches, waiting for a favorable wind to take off again. Tonight, at GCL 2026, I saw such an old bird. Not the most beautiful, not the fastest, but full of character. And perhaps, that is what matters most in this game.