The Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, will return for its fourth season, with the Season 4 Player Draft set to take place in Mumbai on June 29.
The league will be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13.
The draft will feature the return of Magnus Carlsen after a season away, while reigning FIDE Women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh is set to make her Global Chess League debut.
The Season 4 player pool features 36 Grandmasters, including World Champions, World Cup winners, Olympiad medallists and leading names from the international circuit. The six franchises will build six-player squads across four categories: one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women and one Prodigy.
The league will continue with its six-board rapid format, where every board carries equal importance in the team score.
The marquee 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 Levon Aronian.
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They will be joined by emerging names such as reigning World Rapid champion Volodar Murzin and Indian Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca, giving teams a mix of proven experience and young talent.
Season 3, which was hosted in India for the first time, was won by Alpine SG Pipers after a dominant performance in the final.
“With a player pool featuring World Champions, established Grandmasters and emerging talent, the draft will shape the balance and competitiveness of every team heading into Season 4,” said Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner, Global Chess League.
The six franchises for the Bengaluru edition are upGrad Mumba Masters, Fyers American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, Triveni Continental Kings, PBG Alaskan Knights and Alpine SG Pipers. The final will be played on September 13.
Published on Jun 27, 2026
