CHENNAI: The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, has launched GCL Contenders 2025, a first-of-its-kind initiative that creates a direct pathway for aspiring players to compete alongside the sport’s elite.
Through this two-month global tournament, three winners - one each in the men’s, women’s and U21 categories, will earn a lifetime opportunity to enter Season 3 of the GCL as league ambassadors and share the stage with top Grandmasters. Registration opened on Thursday, with the Contenders event running for nearly a month before the start of GCL Season 3 on December 13.
“This is more than a tournament; it is a landmark step for the global chess community,” said Peeyush Dubey, Chairperson of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. “We are opening the stage to aspiring players worldwide, allowing them to potentially compete alongside the greatest Grandmasters.”
The multi-tiered format will begin with the GCL Opens, where participants with an active Chess.com account and at least 25 games played compete in 18 rapid arenas representing franchise teams. The top qualifiers will progress to the GCL Knockouts rounds, followed by the Challengers Knockout, which includes Grandmasters and International Masters. Eventually, three category winners will emerge as GCL Season 3 ambassadors.
Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, called the Contenders programme “an exciting step that unites professional and non-professional players,” while Chess.com Chief Chess Officer Danny Rensch hailed it as “a deeper and more expansive competitive ecosystem,” adding that India, host of Season 3, was the ideal venue.
The competition will span six time zones, from India to the US, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia, strengthening GCL’s ambition to grow as a truly global league.
The six franchises for Season 3 include Alpine SG Pipers, American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters.
For details and registration, visit: [contenders.globalchessleague.com] (https://contenders.globalchessleague.com).