With India dominating the global chess landscape in the last few years, the Global Chess League (GCL) — a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE— conducted its player draft in Mumbai on September 26 ahead of its third season in India.
The six franchises will vie to build powerhouse rosters from a 36-player pool featuring elite Grandmasters and rising talents from 17 chess-playing nations.
Headlining the Icon Boards are reigning World Champion D Gukesh, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Anish Giri, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, four-time world champion Hou Yifan, and World Cup runner-up Koneru Humpy add further star power to the event, amongst a collection of the biggest superstars in the world.
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The U-21 Prodigy category will feature Volodar Murzin, winner of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship and Marc’Andria Maurizzi, the 2023 World Junior champion, spearheading the next wave of talent.
Peeyush Dubey, chairperson, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, stated “The GCL Season 3 draft marks another exciting milestone for the league as we bring together exceptional talent from across the globe. This season promises bigger battles, mega moves, and a new wave of chess innovation for fans. With every season, we’re not just building teams- we’re elevating the future of chess and inspiring a new generation of players and enthusiasts.”
The franchises will build their rosters over four draft rounds, and the pool will be segmented into Icon Players, Men’s, Women’s, and U-21 Prodigy categories. Marquee names will headline this year’s draft.
Five-time World Champion, Viswanathan Anand, said, “GCL is more than a tournament — it’s a celebration of intelligence, teamwork, and creativity. It combines tradition with innovation and creates a platform worthy of the game’s global stature. I’m proud to see such a league emerging from India onto the world stage.”
GCL—the world’s only official gender-inclusive league under a global sports federation — fields six players per team in a fixed-board format: one Icon, two men, two women, and one U-21 Prodigy.
All six franchises will vie for the crown at their maiden home venue as the third edition debuts in India. The franchises for Season 3 are the defending champions, Triveni Continental Kings, PBG Alaskan Knights, UpGrad Mumba Masters, Ganges Grandmasters, Alpine SG Pipers, and American Gambits.
GCL has built a robust audience across widely followed editions in Dubai and London by blending classical pedigree with fast-paced match formats. The third season now comes to India- the birthplace of chess, promising an elevated, fan-first experience.
