The Global Chess League is set to captivate chess enthusiasts with its fourth season, featuring the highly anticipated return of Magnus Carlsen and the debut of Indian champion Divya Deshmukh, alongside a stellar lineup of 36 Grandmasters in Bengaluru.
IMAGE: Magnus Carlsen will make a comeback to Global Chess League after a year’s absence. Photograph: Michal Walusza/FIDE
Key Points
- Magnus Carlsen returns to the Global Chess League for its fourth season after a year’s absence.
- Indian FIDE Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh will make her debut in the prestigious event.
- The fourth season’s draft is on June 29, with the tournament held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13.
- The player pool includes 36 Grandmasters, featuring chess legends like Viswanathan Anand and Koneru Humpy.
Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will make a comeback to Global Chess League after a year’s absence, while FIDE Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh will make her debut in the event during the fourth edition.
Star-Studded Lineup And Tournament Details
The draft for the fourth season will be held on June 29 while the tournament will be organised in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13, the organisers said on Saturday.
“The Season 4 player pool features 36 Grandmasters across generations, including World Champions, World Cup winners, Olympiad medallists and leading names from the global chess circuit,” the organisers said.
“With a mix of retained stars and players entering the draft, franchises will have a wide field to shape balanced six-player squads across categories.”
The teams will assemble squads up to six players across four categories in the draft, including one icon, two superstar men, two superstar women and one prodigy. The league will continue to have a six-board rapid format.
The draft list includes five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand, 2025 FIDE World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov, Women’s World Rapid Champion Koneru Humpy, former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi and former World Cup champion and Olympiad gold medallist Levon Aronian.
The reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin and Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca will also be in the draft.
