Top five players to watch out for at Global Chess League 2025

The event will be held in Mumbai from December 14 to 23.

The Global Chess League 2025 commenced on December 14 and will run until December 23. The Royal Opera House in Mumbai will serve as the host to all games of the competition.

Six teams—PBG Alaskan Knights, Triveni Continental Kings, Alpine Sg Pipers, upGrad Mumba Masters, Ganges Grandmasters, and American Gambits—are competing in the tournament. Notably, each team consists of six members, while having the presence of at least two women and one junior player (born in 2003 or later).

With a double round-robin format, each team will clash twice against other teams, and the top two will qualify for the two-match final.

Six teams! One crown 👑🏆 @GCLlive 👑 Triveni Continental Kings👑 upGrad Mumba Masters👑 Ganges Grandmasters👑 Alpine SG Pipers👑 Fyers American Gambits👑 PBG Alaskan KnightsWho takes GCL Season 3? Drop your answer ⬇️ to win a Diamond Membership 💎 #TechMGCL #MegaMove pic.twitter.com/k1vXkj8LcA

— Chess.com – India (@chesscom_in) December 13, 2025

The last edition saw the Triveni Continental Kings emerge champions for the second season in a row. Kings’ Nihal Sarin and Alina Kashlinskaya were announced as the best male and female players of the season, respectively.

Let’s take a look at the top five players who will be in action in the Global Chess League 2025.

#5 Arjun Erigaisi – PBG Alaskan Knights

With a FIDE rating of 2775 in classical chess, World No. 5, Arjun Erigaisi is the top-ranked player of India. He was the only Indian to reach the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Cup, before losing 2.5-1.5 against Wei Yi.

Erigaisi recently impressed with his performance at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Final by beating Magnus Carlsen in the preliminary stage. Although his form has been praiseworthy, it will be interesting to see whether he can hold his nerves in crunch moments.

#4 Viswanathan Anand – Ganges Grandmasters

The 56-year-old, Viswanathan Anand is ranked 12th in classical chess with a FIDE rating of 2,743. One of the greatest chess players will look to use his experience to help the Grandmasters in achieving their maiden title victory.

Anand recently competed in the Jerusalem Masters 2025, where he sustained a 2.5-1.5 loss against Arjun Erigaisi in the final.

Also Read: Global Chess League 2025: Full schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details

#3 D Gukesh – PBG Alaskan Knights

The reigning world champion, D Gukesh is another big name competing in the Global Chess League. He is positioned 10th with a FIDE rating of 2,754 in classical chess.

Since emerging as the winner at the World Chess Championship 2024, Gukesh has been average with his performances. He lost to Frederik Svane 1.5-0.5 in the third round of the Chess World Cup 2025.

However, the 19-year-old is known to make impressive bounce back, and this tournament might just be a perfect platform for him.

#2 Wei Yi – Triveni Continental Kings

World No. 9 Wei Yi (FIDE rating of 2,754) has been one of the most consistent performers in the recent months. He finished third in the Prague International Chess Festival earlier this year.

The World Cup saw him producing clutch performances in pressure situations. He emerged as the runner-up after losing 2.5-1.5 to Javokhir Sindarov in the final. He will hold the key for the Kings if they want to retain their title.

#1 Javokhir Sindarov – Ganges Grandmasters

Javokhir Sindarov is coming into the Global Chess League with utmost confidence after his impressive performances in the recent competitions. He became the youngest player to win the World Cup after beating Wei Yi 2.5-1.5 in the final.

Thereafter, Sindarov finished fourth in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Final and will be looking to continue his supreme performances. 

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