Several of the world's strongest chess players will vie for top honours when the six-team Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, the only professional sports league where men and women compete together, commences in London on Thursday. (Live Streaming | More Sports News)
A joint venture between the Indian tech giant and the international chess federation (FIDE), the league will see the likes of five-time world champion and current world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, former world champion Viswanathan Anand, world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, and one of the youngest players in the chess elite, 21-year-old Alireza Firouzja compete for their respective franchises in the event.
Besides, former women's world champions Hou Yifan, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, and other leading Grandmasters are among the 36 players participating in the second edition of the league.
Reigning champions, Triveni Continental Kings had clinched the title in Dubai last year with a dramatic last-minute win over the Ganges Grandmasters.
The six teams competing in the London edition are Alpine SG Pipers (led by Magnus Carlsen), Ganges Grandmasters (Viswanathan Anand), upGrad Mumba Masters (Maxime Vachier-Lagrave), PBG Alaskan Knights (Anish Giri), Triveni Continental Kings (Alireza Firouzja) and American Gambits (Hikaru Nakamura).
Each team consists of six players, which includes an 'Icon Player' -- a top-rated GM rated 2700 or above --, two world-class Grandmasters, two top female players, and one player aged 21 or younger.
The teams will compete in a double round-robin format. In contrast to traditional chess tournaments, where each team has an equal number of players playing with black or white pieces, here, the entire team will play with one colour for the duration of a match and switch in the rematch.
Each game lasts only 20 minutes, with no time increment, making time pressure a major factor in the contest.
A host of Indian players like R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, R Vaishali, D Harika, who were part of the double gold-winning contingent at the chess Olympiad in Budapest recently, will also be competing in the GCL.
"This event is ground-breaking in both concept and format. It sets a new standard not only for chess but for sports worldwide. The initiative to combine men and women on the same team is inspiring and will greatly promote the game globally," FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich.
"There's incredible excitement as the Global Chess League Season 2 rolls out on October 3 here. We are looking forward to having a great turnout with chess lovers coming to watch some thrilling matches between the world's top players," said Sameer Pathak, CEO, GCL.
As per the scoring system, a win with black pieces will earn four game points, while a win with white earns three. A draw is worth one game point, and a loss earns no points.
In terms of match points, a team victory will be rewarded with three points, a draw with one, and a loss with no points.
After the round-robin phase, the two teams with the highest match points will advance to the final, which will be decided over two matches. If a tie occurs, blitz playoffs will determine the winner.
The event will conclude on October 12.
