Carlsen, Anand, Liren to be part of inaugural edition of Global Chess League

All teams will compete in a one-of-a-kind joint team format at GCL, with each team consisting of six players a minimum of two women chess players per team

From Left to Right - Viswanathan Anand, Koneru Humpy, Magnus Carlsen, Hou Yifan, Ding Liren, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Jan-Krzysztof Duda are among the top players who will be featuring in the first edition of Global Chess League. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The first season of the Global Chess League (GCL) will feature reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren, the world’s top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen, five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and four-time Women’s World champion Hou Yifan, among others.

GCL, which is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, will be held in Dubai from June 21st to July 2nd, 2023,

“Global Chess League appeared to be a fantastic opportunity from the moment I heard about it, and I was eager to participate. Not only is it an interesting format, but also, as an ICON player, I get to contribute to an exciting concept that will change the face of the chess world for years to come,” said Liren

“The Global Chess League will be a great new event in over-the-board chess that has never been done before. I am excited to be a part of this unique mixed-team format. Chess is played by many people worldwide, but it needs to catch up to other major sports as a spectator sport, and I am optimistic that GCL will contribute significantly to this,” added Carlsen.

All teams will compete in a one-of-a-kind joint team format at GCL, with each team consisting of six players a minimum of two women chess players per team, with India’s Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli part of the list.

In addition to the renowned champions, the league will provide a stage for emerging talent with six U21 players part of the GCL, including the trio of young Indian Grandmasters, Praggnanandhaa R., Raunak Sadhwani, and Nihal Sarin.

LIST OF PLAYERS ANNOUNCED

Men Players

Ding Liren, Viswanathan Anand, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Leinier Domínguez, Alexander Grischuk, Daniil Dubov, Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Yi Wei, Yu Yangyi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Richard Rapport, Kirill Shevchenko, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Salem Salah

Women Players

Hou Yifan, Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, Nana Dzagnidze, Bella Khotenashvili, Nino Batsiashvili, Irina Krush, Polina Shuvalova, Elisabeth Paehtz

U-21 Players

Praggnanandhaa R., Raunak Sadhwani, Nihal Sarin, Jonas Buhl Bjerre, Javokhir Sindarov, Andrey Esipenko,