The third season of the Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and Fide, will take place in Mumbai from Sunday.
The 10-day event, featuring the world’s best chess talent in a unique, global franchise team-based format, will make its much-anticipated debut in India at Mumbai’s iconic Royal Opera House.
Six franchises — Fyers American Gambits, Alpine SG Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, upGrad Mumba Masters, PBG Alaskan Knights and Triveni Continental Kings — featuring players from 17 chess-playing nations will vie for top honours.
Reigning world champion D. Gukesh, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Anish Giri, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, four-time world champion Hou Yifan and Koneru Humpy will add star power to the tournament.
Hikaru Nakamura's participation, however, is in doubt because of personal reasons.
"The GCL is great practice ahead of Rapid and Blitz, though the no-increment format is tricky, and I support shorter, innovative formats because long classical games can be boring for spectators. The league is becoming tougher each year, and the team format helps us learn from each other," Humpy said in a media release.
"For young girls, it’s crucial to compete in open sections and face stronger players that’s how real improvement happens.”
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi was excited to be part of the tournament again.
“Having the GCL in Mumbai feels literally like coming home. This league is Indian at heart, and I’m sure the passion from fans here will be unmatched. The teams are much more balanced now, and as defending champions we know everyone will take us very seriously," Triveni Continental Kings player Gujrathi said.
The GCL committed to elevating chess into a global spectator sport built on innovation, entertainment, technology and fan experience.
“The idea behind introducing headphones and live commentary inside the playing hall is simple — the level of chess our GMs play is so advanced that without guidance, fans miss a lot of the flavour," League commissioner Gourav Rakshit said.
"While fans usually gather in the fan zone because commentary helps them appreciate the moves, the real action is on the live playing field, and we want to give them an experience that matches that energy."