Mumbai, June 29: Grandmaster Nihal Sarin was on Monday at the centre of a bidding war before he was bought by FYERS American Gambits franchise during the player draft here for the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 4.
The tournament, which will feature some of the best chess players in the world, will be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13.
The day was headlined by newly-crowned Bullet Chess Champion and Season 2 MVP Sarin emerging as one of the most sought-after names before joining FYERS American Gambits.
Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers strengthened their title defence around Norwegian star Magnus Carlsen and Women’s Chess World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, while Indian legend Viswanathan Anand moved teams for the first time in the league’s history to join Arjun Erigaisi at PBG Alaskan Knights.
Following three seasons across Dubai, London, and Mumbai, the league now heads to Bengaluru at a time when the country continues to produce world champions and elite contenders, growing into a powerhouse.
To be played over 11 days, the six-team franchise league will feature a round-robin group phase, where each team will play the other twice, with the top two teams advancing to play the Grand Finale. Each franchise fields six players across four categories, including one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy, in a globally unique format where men, women, and prodigies compete together with equal value. (PTI)
