The Global Chess League, a six-team franchise chess tournament, will hold its second edition in London from October 3 to 12, 2024.
Some of the strongest and most well-known players will be competing, including five-time World Champion and current world number one Magnus Carlsen, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, world number two Hikaru Nakamura, and one of the youngest players in the chess elite, 21-year-old Alireza Firouzja.
Additionally, former Women’s World Champions Hou Yifan, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, and other leading Grandmasters are among the 36 players participating in this prestigious event.
“This event is ground-breaking in both concept and format. It sets a new standard not only for chess but for sports worldwide. The initiative to combine men and women on the same team is inspiring and will greatly promote the game globally,” FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich.
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Indians in action
Alpine SG Pipers: Superstar Men 1 -Praggnanandhaa R
Ganges Grandmasters: Icon Player- Viswanathan Anand, Superstar Men 1- Arjun Erigaisi, Superstar Women 1- Vaishali R
upGrad Mumba Masters: Superstar Men 1-Vidit Gujrathi, Superstar Women 1- Koneru Humpy, Superstar Women 2-Harika Dronavalli
PBG Alaskan Knights: Prodigy- Nihal Sarin
Teams
The reigning champion, Triveni Continental Kings, claimed victory in the inaugural edition held last year in Dubai, with a dramatic last-minute win over the pGrad Mumba Masters.
This year six teams will participate in the league: Alpine SG Pipers, led by Magnus Carlsen; Ganges Grandmasters, led by Viswanathan Anand; upGrad Mumba Masters, led by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; PBG Alaskan Knights, led by Anish Giri; Triveni Continental Kings, led by Alireza Firouzja; and American Gambits, led by Hikaru Nakamura.
Format
Each team consists of six players: one Icon Player (a top-rated Grandmaster rated 2700 or above), two world-class Grandmasters, two top-female players, and one player aged 21 or younger.
The teams will compete in a double round-robin format, meaning they will face every other team twice. In contrast to traditional chess tournaments, where each team has an equal number of players playing with black or white pieces, here, the entire team will play with one colour for the duration of a match and switch in the rematch.
Each game lasts only 20 minutes, with no time increment, making time pressure a significant factor in the game.
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Scoring system
The scoring system resembles football more than traditional chess, where a win with either colour earns one point, a draw earns half a point, and a loss earns no points.
At the GCL, a win with the black pieces earns four game points, while a win with white earns three. A draw is worth a game point, and a loss earns no points. In terms of match points, a team victory is rewarded with three points, a draw with one, and a loss with zero.
After the round-robin phase, the two teams with the highest match points will advance to the final, which will be decided over two matches. If a tie occurs, blitz playoffs will determine the winner.
Where and when
The event takes place at Friends House, Euston (NW1 2BJ) with the first round starting on October 3, at 5:45 pm IST. Each day will feature three matches (at 5:45 pm, 8:25 pm, and 9:45 pm IST). The final will be held on October 12, with matches beginning at 5:45 pm and 7:05 pm IST.
FULL TEAM LIST
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