Global Chess League 2026: Full schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details
(Courtesy : Global Chess League)
Global Chess League 2026
Magnus Carlsen Returns for Global Chess League Season 4 in Bengaluru
The Global Chess League 2026 will be held from September 5 to 13, 2026, with Bengaluru hosting the fourth edition of the franchise-based competition at The Lalit Ashok.
The tournament will feature six franchises: Fyers American Gambits, Alpine APL Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, Triveni Continental Kings, and Airlearn Mumba Masters, with some of the biggest names in world chess competing across nine days of rapid team action.
The GCL debuted in Dubai in 2023, where Triveni Continental Kings won the inaugural title. Triveni then successfully defended their crown in London in 2024.
The third edition in Mumbai produced a new champion, with Alpine SG Pipers winning the title after defeating Triveni Continental Kings in the final. The Pipers will now begin their title defence with five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen back in the competition after missing the 2025 season.
Season 4 promises another blockbuster field, with Javokhir Sindarov, Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Viswanathan Anand and Ian Nepomniachtchi serving as the six Icon players.
The tournament will feature a $1 million prize fund.
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Global Chess League 2026 format
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
The six franchises will play a double round-robin league stage, with each team facing the other five teams twice. That gives every franchise 10 matches during the league phase.
The two teams finishing at the top of the standings advance directly to the Final, while the teams finishing third and fourth compete in the third-place playoff. The Final is played over two matches. If the teams are tied after the two-match final, a blitz playoff is used to determine the champion.
Global Chess League 2026 points system
The scoring system remains one of the league’s defining features.
- Win with Black: 4 Game Points
- Win with White: 3 Game Points
- Draw: 1 Game Point
- Loss: 0 Game Points
The team that scores more Game Points across the six boards earns 3 Match Points. If the two teams finish level on Game Points, both receive 1 Match Point. The losing team receives 0 Match Points.
When is Global Chess League 2026 scheduled to start?
The Global Chess League 2026 will begin on September 5, 2026, and conclude on September 13, 2026.
Where will Global Chess League 2026 take place?
The fourth edition of the Global Chess League will be held at The Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru. Bengaluru is set to become the second Indian city to host the Global Chess League after Mumbai staged Season 3 in 2025.
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Global Chess League 2026 squads
Fyers American Gambits
- Javokhir Sindarov (Icon), Nihal Sarin, Daniil Dubov, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Sara Khadem, Marc’Andria Maurizzi (Prodigy)
Alpine APL Pipers
- Magnus Carlsen (Icon), Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, Volodar Murzin (Prodigy)
Ganges Grandmasters
- Ian Nepomniachtchi (Icon), Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Polina Shuvalova, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Leon Luke Mendonca (Prodigy)
PBG Alaskan Knights
- Viswanathan Anand (Icon), Arjun Erigaisi, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Kateryna Lagno, Nino Batsiashvili, Abhimanyu Mishra (Prodigy)
Triveni Continental Kings
- Alireza Firouzja (Icon), Wei Yi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Zhu Jiner, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Pranav Venkatesh (Prodigy)
Airlearn Mumba Masters
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Icon), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Carissa Yip, Harika Dronavalli, Bardiya Daneshvar (Prodigy)
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Where and how to watch Global Chess League 2026 live?
The Global Chess League is expected to be available through the league’s digital broadcast platforms, with the official GCL website providing live-stream access during the event.
Chess.com has also been a major broadcast partner for the league, with previous editions streamed through its Twitch and YouTube channels, along with Hindi coverage through Chess.com/Chess24’s Indian channels.
Global Chess League 2026 full schedule, fixtures, results and match timings in IST
Day 1 — September 5 (Saturday)
- Match 1 – PBG Alaskan Knights vs Fyers American Gambits, 3:30 PM
- Match 2 – Triveni Continental Kings vs Ganges Grandmasters, 5:00 PM
- Match 3 – Airlearn Mumba Masters vs Alpine APL Pipers, 6:30 PM
- Match 4 – Fyers American Gambits vs Triveni Continental Kings, 8:00 PM
Day 2 — September 6 (Sunday)
- Match 5 – Alpine APL Pipers vs Ganges Grandmasters, 3:30 PM
- Match 6 – Airlearn Mumba Masters vs PBG Alaskan Knights, 5:00 PM
- Match 7 – Ganges Grandmasters vs Fyers American Gambits, 6:30 PM
- Match 8 – Triveni Continental Kings vs Airlearn Mumba Masters, 8:00 PM
Day 3 — September 7 (Monday)
- Match 9 – PBG Alaskan Knights vs Alpine APL Pipers, 3:30 PM
- Match 10 – Airlearn Mumba Masters vs Ganges Grandmasters, 5:00 PM
- Match 11 – Alpine APL Pipers vs Fyers American Gambits, 6:30 PM
- Match 12 – PBG Alaskan Knights vs Triveni Continental Kings, 8:00 PM
Day 4 — September 8 (Tuesday)
- Match 13 – Ganges Grandmasters vs PBG Alaskan Knights, 3:30 PM
- Match 14 – Fyers American Gambits vs Airlearn Mumba Masters, 5:00 PM
- Match 15 – Triveni Continental Kings vs Alpine APL Pipers, 6:30 PM
- Match 16 – Fyers American Gambits vs PBG Alaskan Knights, 8:00 PM
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Day 5 — September 9 (Wednesday)
- Match 17 – Airlearn Mumba Masters vs Alpine APL Pipers, 3:30 PM
- Match 18 – Ganges Grandmasters vs Triveni Continental Kings, 5:00 PM
- Match 19 – PBG Alaskan Knights vs Airlearn Mumba Masters, 6:30 PM
- Match 20 – Triveni Continental Kings vs Fyers American Gambits, 8:00 PM
Day 6 — September 10 (Thursday)
- Match 21 – Alpine APL Pipers vs Ganges Grandmasters, 3:30 PM
- Match 22 – Airlearn Mumba Masters vs Triveni Continental Kings, 5:00 PM
- Match 23 – Alpine APL Pipers vs PBG Alaskan Knights, 6:30 PM
- Match 24 – Ganges Grandmasters vs Fyers American Gambits, 8:00 PM
Day 7 — September 11 (Friday)
- Match 25 – Triveni Continental Kings vs PBG Alaskan Knights, 5:00 PM
- Match 26 – Alpine APL Pipers vs Fyers American Gambits, 6:30 PM
- Match 27 – Ganges Grandmasters vs Airlearn Mumba Masters, 8:00 PM
Day 8 — September 12 (Saturday)
- Match 28 – Triveni Continental Kings vs Alpine APL Pipers, 5:00 PM
- Match 29 – PBG Alaskan Knights vs Ganges Grandmasters, 6:30 PM
- Match 30 – Fyers American Gambits vs Airlearn Mumba Masters, 8:00 PM
Day 9 — September 13 (Sunday)
- Match 31 – 3rd/4th Place Playoff, 3:30 PM
- Match 32 – 3rd/4th Place Playoff, 5:00 PM
- Match 33 – Final, 6:30 PM
- Match 34 – Final, 8:00 PM
When was Global Chess League launched?
Global Chess League was launched in 2023.
Which team won the Global Chess League last year?
Alpine SG Pipers won the Global Chess League last year.
Where in India can Global Chess League be watched?
The Global Chess League is expected to be available through the league’s digital broadcast platforms, with the official GCL website providing live-stream access during the event. Chess.com has also been a major broadcast partner for the league, with previous editions streamed through its Twitch and YouTube channels, along with Hindi coverage through Chess.com/Chess24’s Indian channels.
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