Published on Sep 4
BENGALURU: The fourth edition of the Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE, promises to be a scintillating affair as world number one Magnus Carlsen returns after a year's hiatus to strengthen defending champions Alpine APL Pipers, while two-time champions Triveni Continental Kings retain their core group with an eye on a third title in four years.
The Global Chess League has emerged as one of the most coveted team competitions in the world chess calendar and will be hosted in India for the second consecutive year. Season 4 has attracted some of the world's best players for the nine-day competition, which will see six teams face off in a double round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the Grand Finale on September 13.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the competition, Peeyush Dubey, Chairman, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League , said, " We at the Global Chess League (GCL) have always believed that chess is a sport that a family can enjoy together. Chess can be a festival, and that is exactly the revolution that we are seeing. I am very happy to say that Season 4 of the Global Chess League is bigger and better in every single aspect than what we have seen. We have some of the best global players with us in Bangalore and some of the biggest companies in the world supporting this movement. "
Apart from Carlsen, 2026 Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov, Alireza Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Viswanathan Anand and Ian Nepomniachtchi will lead their respective teams as icon players.
Carlsen played for the Pipers in the first two seasons, held in Dubai and London, but pulled out of the last season in Mumbai, where the team went on to deny Triveni Continental Kings a third consecutive title. The Pipers have strengthened their squad further, bringing in India's first-ever Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh to join experienced campaigner Koneru Humpy on the women's board, while Dutch GM Anish Giri and India's Vidit Gujrathi will shoulder the responsibility on the other two men's boards.
Asked about his return to the competition, the Norwegian Grandmaster insisted that he loves the format and is focused on doing his best to help the team retain the title. "I am a little bit surprised to be back, seeing as we had a couple of really frustrating years for the team - the first two years when I was playing. And then when I was away, the team won it all. So this time I'm just trying to do my best to not do any worse than last year," said Carlsen.
PHOTO CAPTION: Trophy unveiling ceremony in Bengaluru