Global Chess League season 2 set to roll out with unique format, new scoring system and more

Six teams will compete for the title in Global Chess league 2024.

In a unique sports event, many of the world’s strongest chess players have gathered in London for the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, the only professional sports league where men and women compete together on mixed-gender teams. Created as a joint venture between Indian tech giant Tech Mahindra and the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the league aims to bring chess to millions of fans worldwide through a fresh, competitive format that is unlike anything seen before in the sport.

Some of the strongest and most well-known players on the planet are competing, including five-time World Champion and current world number one Magnus Carlsen, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, world number two and popular chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura, and one of the youngest players in the chess elite, 21-year-old Alireza Firouzja.

Additionally, former Women’s World Champions Hou Yifan, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, and other leading Grandmasters are among the 36 players participating in this prestigious event.

“There’s incredible excitement as the Global Chess League Season 2 rolls out on October 3rd here in London. We are looking forward to having a great turnout with chess lovers coming into the Friends House to watch some thrilling matches between the world’s top players,” said Sameer Pathak, CEO of the Global Chess League.

Also Read: ‘The scoring system in GCL invites a change of style’- Nihal Sarin shares excitement ahead of Global Chess League 2024

Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), added, “This event is groundbreaking 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.”

World-class teams

The reigning champions, the Triveni Continental Kings, claimed victory in the inaugural edition held in July 2023 in Dubai, UAE, with a dramatic last-minute win over the Ganges Grandmasters.

This year six teams – owned by major international companies – are participating in the league: Alpine SG Pipers, led by Magnus Carlsen; Ganges Grandmasters, led by Viswanathan Anand; upGrad Mumba Masters, led by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; PBG Alaskan Knights, led by Anish Giri; Triveni Continental Kings, led by Alireza Firouzja; and American Gambits, led by Hikaru Nakamura.

Unique format

Each team consists of six players: one Icon Player (a top-rated Grandmaster 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, meaning they will face every other team twice. 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 significant factor in the game.

A new scoring system

The scoring system resembles football more than traditional chess, where a win with either colour earns oje point, a draw earns half a point, and a loss earns no points. At the TechM GCL, a win with the black pieces earns 4 game points, while a win with white earns 3. A draw is worth 1 game point, and a loss earns no points.

In terms of match points, a team victory is rewarded with 3 points, a draw with 1, and a loss with 0. 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.

Where and when

The event takes place at Friends House, Euston (NW1 2BJ) with the first round starting on Thursday, 3rd October, at 13:15 London time. Each day will feature three matches (at 13:15, 15:55, and 17:15). The final will be held on Saturday, 12th October, with matches beginning at 13:15 and 14:35 London time.

Full Team list:

Team	Alpine SG Pipers	Ganges Grandmasters	upGrad Mumba Masters	PBG Alaskan Knights	Triveni Continental Kings	American Gambits
Icon Player	Magnus Carlsen	Viswanathan Anand	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	Anish Giri	Alireza Firouzja	Hikaru Nakamura
Superstar Men 1	Praggnanandhaa R	Arjun Erigaisi	Vidit Gujrathi	Nodirbek Abdusattorov	Wei Yi	Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Superstar Men 2	Richard Rapport	Parham Maghsoodloo	Peter Svidler	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	Teimour Radjabov	Yu Yangyi
Superstar Women 1	Hou Yifan	Vaishali R	Koneru Humpy	Tan Zhongyi	Alexandra Kosteniuk	Bibisara Assaubayeva
Superstar Women 2	Kateryna Lagno	Nurgyul Salimova	Harika Dronavalli	Alina Kashlinskaya	Valentina Gunina	Elisabeth Paehtz
Prodigy	Daniel Dardha	Volodar Murzin	Raunak Sadhwani	Nihal Sarin	Javokhir Sindarov	Jonas Buhl Bjerre

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