CHENNAI: The second edition of the Global Chess League is scheduled to be held in London in the first two weeks of October (3-12). In a press release, the organisers, a joint initiative between the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Tech Mahindra confirmed the event.
"After a fantastic response to the inaugural season, we are excited to continue our mission of expanding the reach of chess worldwide and creating new experiences for chess fans," FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich was quoted as saying in the release.
The first edition of the league was won by the Triveni Continental Kings, led by Levon Aronian and Yu Yangyi. While it is not known whether the world's best players - including Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hou Yifan, R Praggnanandhaa, and Tan Zhongyi, among others - will sign up again, the organisers have promised rosters filled with top players.
"The second edition will feature top players from around the world, including reigning world champions and rising stars, competing in a unique team-based format that emphasises strategy, collaboration, and high-stakes play," the release added.
The league, as in 2023, will be in a team format. "The players will compete in a joint team format consisting of six players, including two top women players and a prodigy player in every team. Each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system."
"We will continue to leverage the Global Chess League's innovative format and next-gen technologies to captivate and engage fans worldwide. Together with FIDE, our vision for the league is to bring the best from the chess world," Peeyush Dubey, chairperson of the Global Chess League Board, was quoted as saying in the release.