World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen made a memorable gesture at the Global Chess League on Friday, September 11, handing his Player of the Match award to Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi after Alpine APL Pipers defeated FYERS American Gambits 9-7.

Although Carlsen received the award after beating Javokhir Sindarov on the icon board, the Norwegian said Vidit’s victory over Daniil Dubov in a marathon endgame had secured the match for the defending champions and deserved recognition.

Carlsen Passes Award To Vidit

Carlsen took the microphone shortly after receiving the Player of the Match award and said he was pleased with both his performance and the team’s victory but did not believe he deserved the individual honour over Vidit.

“To win, I will say though, that as much as I’m happy with the game and happy with the win, uh, I do not deserve this player of the match as much as the the man who who won us the match, so I would like to. Respectfully pass on the trophy to Vidit,” Carlsen said.

The gesture came after the Alpine APL Pipers’ victory over FYERS American Gambits in the penultimate round of the tournament.

Vidit later described the moment as special and expressed his appreciation for Carlsen’s recognition.

“This one is special. Getting appreciation from the G.O.A.T himself! Thanks Magnus,” Vidit said in a post on X.

Carlsen Ends Sindarov’s Winning Run

The ninth-round contest was crucial for both teams, who had started the round level on match points as well as game points in the race for a place in the final.

Carlsen brought an end to Candidates 2026 champion Javokhir Sindarov’s three-match winning streak with a commanding performance on the icon board.

The Norwegian maintained control of the game against the Uzbek player throughout the contest, with Sindarov eventually resigning after 36 moves.

Carlsen’s victory was initially rewarded with the Player of the Match award, which he later chose to hand over to Vidit.

Vidit Holds Nerve In 96-Move Marathon

The decisive moment of the match came on the Superstar men’s board, where Vidit faced Daniil Dubov in a tense encounter.

The game developed into a prolonged endgame and both players came under severe time pressure.

Vidit held his nerve through the 96-move contest, using his extra knight and pawn against Dubov’s rook to eventually secure a crucial victory.

His win helped Alpine APL Pipers defeat FYERS American Gambits 9-7 and strengthened the defending champions’ push for a place in the title clash.

Pipers Complete Double Over American Gambits

The victory also saw Alpine APL Pipers complete a double over FYERS American Gambits in the Global Chess League.

With the penultimate round concluded, the defending champions strengthened their position in the race for the final.

For Carlsen, however, the result was followed by a moment that drew attention away from his own victory, as the World No. 1 publicly credited Vidit’s performance as the one that had won the match for the Pipers.

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