Bengaluru Hosts Global Chess League.. World Chess Stars Set to Compete!

The Global Chess League (GCL) is back for its fourth season after entertaining chess fans over the past three editions. The tournament begins in Bengaluru on Saturday, with six teams competing: Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, American Gambits, Triveni Continental Kings, Check Mumba Masters and Alpine SG Pipers. The final is scheduled for September 13. After Dubai and London hosted the first two seasons, Mumbai hosted the league last year.

This season has several major attractions. World No.1 Magnus Carlsen returns to the competition after missing the previous edition, while Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh will make her GCL debut. Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand, who represented Ganges Grandmasters for three consecutive seasons, will now play for PBG Alaskan Knights. Along with Carlsen and Divya, Koneru Humpy and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who is set to challenge Gukesh in the World Championship, are among the biggest stars expected to draw attention.