Indian Chess League to begin in June 2022

The cap for each team is set at Rs. 2 crore to pick an eight-member squad from the auction for the six-team league that will begin in June next year.

(Representative image) The minimum bid for the elite GMs in the league is kept at Rs. 30 lakh.

The inaugural six-team Indian Chess League is set to start in June next year. Making an announcement on Tuesday, the All India Chess Federation President Sanjay Kapoor said the league would be played on a double round-robin format over two weeks, with the top two teams clashing for the title. The cap for each team is set at Rs. 2 crore to pick an eight-member squad from the auction. Each team should comprise two elite Grandmasters, two Indian GMs, two Woman GMs and two Indian juniors - a boy and a girl. The minimum bid for the elite GMs is kept at Rs. 30 lakh.

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“The idea is to not only draw the best players from around the world but also to provide India’s players a formidable platform to sharpen their skills,” said Bharat Singh Chauhan, the secretary of AICF.

Much will depend on the availability of the players in the auction and the window available for the league to take place regularly. AICF has signed a deal with Gameplan Sports Private Limited, as the rights holder, to organise and market the league. At this stage, the modalities are yet to be worked out in detail.