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The Global Chess League (GCL), the world’s premier chess competition, is all set to commence on June 21 and will run till July 2.
The GCL is an arrangement between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, the International Chess Federation.
From the heart of #Mumbai to the world!#GlobalChessLeague reveals official team jerseys, reflecting the power and essence of the game and uniting chess enthusiasts worldwide! #GCL starts 21st June 2023. #TheBigMove @FIDE_chess @DubaiSC @umumba @SGAlpineWarrior @gulf_titans… pic.twitter.com/LHqq8ryW2f
— Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 17, 2023
GCL will include a joint team structure of six teams with six players on each side, featuring at least two women.
The six teams are:
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-Balan Alaskan Knights
-Chingari Gulf Titans
-Ganges Grandmasters
-SG Alpine Warriors
-Triveni Continental Kings
-Upgrad Mumba Masters.
The franchise owners of all six teams are Indians.
Each team has six players. The players have been divided into icons, superstars, and prodigies. There are a total of six icons, six prodigies, and 26 superstars who are divided among the six teams.
Each of the six franchises, which has 36 Grandmasters (GMs) in total, will compete in a total of 10 double round-robin matches, with the triumphant of each game being decided by a concurrent best-of-six board scoring system.
The league will see nine Indian GMs in action for the six teams, with young prodigies such as D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa getting the opportunity to team up with Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, according to a report in The Indian Express.
The competition will explore new ways to advertise the game using interactive technology-enabled platforms, embracing the latest innovations such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others.
Gukesh (17), touted as one of India’s strongest bets to be a world champion in the future, told The Indian Express, “I’m hoping to learn as much as possible from Carlsen. Maybe, we can discuss games afterwards and as a team, we can maybe even work together a bit (on strategy and chess tactics). I have not got much experience of doing that with him.”
GCL will also see Indian Grandmasters and International Masters as strategists: GM Pravin Thipsay (Ganges Grandmasters), GM Swapnil Dhopade (Chingari Gulf Titans), IM Vishal Sareen (SG Alpine Warriors), and GM Abhijit Kunte (Balan Alaskan) will be involved as chess strategists or team principals.
Emil Sutovsky, FIDE CEO, told The Indian Express, “India is very important for FIDE. It’s a strategic partner. This is why it is important for us to have FIDE-approved events happening in India. That’s where the Global Chess League came into the picture.”
GCL has plans set for the first five seasons, with the six franchise owners committing to staying on for that period. The league plans to expand with two more teams being added in the third season and the league expanding to 10 teams in the fifth season.
Icons:
-Anand (Ganges Grandmasters)
-Aronian (Triveni Continental Kings)
-Carlsen (Alpine Warriors)
-Ian Nepomniachtchi (Balan Alaskan Knights)
-Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Upgrad Mumba Masters)
-Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Chingari Gulf Titans)
Prodigies:
-Javokhir Sindarov (Mumba Masters)
-Nihal Sarin (Chingari Gulf Titans)
-Raunak Sadhwani (Balan Alaskan Knights)
-Jonas Buhl Bjerre (Triveni Continental Kings)
-Andrey Esipenko (Ganges Grandmasters)
-Praggnanandhaa (Alpine Warriors)
Superstars:
Arjun Erigaise (Alpine Warriors), Teimour Radjabov (Balan Alaskan Knights), Vidit Gujrathi (Mumba Masters), Alexander Grischuk (Mumba Masters), Hou Yifan (Ganges Grandmasters), Konery Humpy (Mumba Masters), Richard Rapport (Ganges Grandmasters), Kateryna Lagno (Triveni Continental Kings), Alexander Kosteniuk (Chingari Gulf Titans), Leinier Dominguez Perez (Ganges Grandmasters), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Chingari Gulf Titans), Nino Batsiashvili (Balan Alaskan Knights), Irina Krush (Alpine Warriors), Tan Zhongyi (Balan Alaskan Knights), Harika Dronavalli (Mumba Masters), Yu Yangyi (Triveni Continental Kings), Nana Dzagnidze (Triveni Continental Kings), Polina Shuvalova (Chingari Gulf Titans), Wei Yi (Triveni Continental Kings), Danil Dubov (Chingari Gulf Titans), Elisabeth Paehtz (Alpine Warriors), Bella Khotenashvili (Ganges Grandmasters), Gukesh D (Alpine Warriors), and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Balan Alaskan Knights).
