World champion D Gukesh will lead the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 player draft on September 26, introducing major Indian talent to the masses. The tournament will be organized in Chennai from December 13 to 24, although world No. 1 Norwegian Magnus Carlsen will miss this edition, following his participation in the last two seasons in the UAE and London.
Who Are the Icon Players in GCL?
Gukesh will be joining the league of ‘Icon’ players along with five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and R Praggnanandhaa, underlining the Indian chess star power. International grandmasters including Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will also be part of the draft pool of 36 players, adding global interest to the league.
Which Other Star Players Will Be Included in GCL?
The event will also feature some of the biggest names such as Anish Giri, Arjun Erigaisi, four-time women’s world champion Hou Yifan, and World Cup runner-up Koneru Humpy, in order to provide a robust mix of experience and emergent skill. The U-21 ‘Prodigy’ section will highlight Volodar Murzin, winner of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, and Marc’Andria Maurizzi, champion of the 2023 World Junior, which represent the emerging talent.
How Will Teams Be Formed in GCL?
Franchises will build their rosters over four draft rounds, divided into “Icon Players,” “Men’s,” “Women’s,” and “U-21 Prodigy” slots. Each side has six players in a fixed-board setup: one Icon, two men, two women, and one U-21 Prodigy. The six franchises that are involved this season are:
Triveni Continental Kings, PBG Alaskan Knights, UpGrad Mumba Masters, Ganges Grandmasters, Alpine SG Pipers, and American Gambits.
Why Is This GCL Season Important?
Gukesh, having participated in the GCL first season in 2023, bypassed the 2024 edition because of the world championship title conflict with China’s Ding Liren. Anand highlighted the league’s wider reach, saying, “GCL is not just a tournament – it’s a celebration of brains, collaboration, and imagination. It brings together tradition and innovation and builds a platform befitting the game’s international status.”
Peeyush Dubey, the chairperson of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, further added, “As we stage every season of the GCL, we’re not merely assembling teams we’re raising the bar for the future of chess and motivating a new generation of chess players and fans.”
Where and When Will the GCL Draft Happen?
The player draft on September 26 will see all the teams that are competing choose their teams before the league begins in Chennai in December. There will be a combination of champions familiar with the circuit, global stars, and up-and-coming prodigies. GCL Season 3 will be one event that everyone looks forward to seeing on the worldwide chess calendar.
