The fourth season of the Global Chess League (GCL) will be held in Bengaluru from September 3, the organisers said in a statement on Friday. It is the second consecutive time that the over-the-board rapid chess league will be held in India, having been hosted by Mumbai last year. The inaugural season had been held in Dubai in 2023 after which London hosted the second season in 2024.
“The GCL, which is a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE, has already changed the format of the game including franchise teams, mixed gender lineups, and rapid fire matches. Season 4 will once again feature the world’s leading players competing in a team-based format,” said the organisers in their statement.
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Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner of the Global Chess League, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, said that bringing the league to Bengaluru felt like “a a defining moment, not just for the league, but for the evolution of the game itself.”
“This is where the next chapter begins,” he said.
“India continues to be at the forefront of the global chess movement, and Bengaluru provides the perfect setting to build on this momentum,” said FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich.
“We look forward to an exciting season that brings the world’s best players together and further deepens engagement with fans across the country and beyond.”
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Top Indian players like R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh and Viswanathan Anand have played in the event in past seasons. This year’s lineup, and the venue in Bengaluru, is yet to be officially announced.
The third season of the GCL was held at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House. Organisers had come with innovations to make the experience of fans better, both in the arena and on streaming.
There were be mic’ed up “team booths” in the playing arena, where teams held team and strategy meetings before matches. While these booths were sound proof, so the strategies will not carry outside, fans on the streaming were able to hear how players in a largely individual sport came to terms with group dynamics.
Alpine SG Pipers players celebrate after winning the third season of Global Chess League. (GCL) 
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