Global Chess League: Format, schedule, participants

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
10/3/2024 – The Global Chess League returns for its second edition, bringing top players from around the world to London from 3-12 October. Organised by Tech Mahindra Global and FIDE, the team-based tournament features six teams, each made up of male and female stars, including Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand and Hou Yifan. With a US$ 1 million prize fund at stake, the competition will follow a double round-robin format, leading to a final showdown between the top two teams. An innovative scoring system and fast-paced time control promise an action-packed event.

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A 6-team double round-robin

The second edition of the Global Chess League, a franchise team tournament organised by Tech Mahindra Global in collaboration with the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is set to take place on 3-12 October at Friends House in London. The event, which boasts a prize fund of US$ 1 million, will see six teams competing in a double round-robin format, followed by a final match between the top two teams to determine the champion.

Each of the six teams features an impressive lineup of chess talent, comprising an Icon Player, four Superstars (two men and two women), and a Prodigy - a player born in 2003 or later. Some of the world's top chess players will be in action, including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Viswanathan Anand, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Anish Giri as Icon Players. Additionally, three key members of India's Olympiad-winning team - Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu - will take part. The tournament will also feature three former women's world champions: Hou Yifan, Tan Zhongyi and Alexandra Kosteniuk, further elevating the level of competition.

Alpine SG Pipers Ganges Grandmasters upGrad Mumba Masters
Magnus Carlsen Viswanathan Anand Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Praggnanandhaa R Arjun Erigaisi Vidit Gujrathi
Richard Rapport Parham Maghsoodloo Peter Svidler
Hou Yifan Vaishali Rameshbabu Humpy Koneru
Kateryna Lagno Nurgyul Salimova Harika Dronavalli
Daniel Dardha Volodar Murzin Raunak Sadhwani
PBG Alaskan Knights Triveni Continental Kings American Gambits
Anish Giri Alireza Firouzja Hikaru Nakamura
Nodirbek Abdusattorov Wei Yi Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Teimour Radjabov Yu Yangyi
Tan Zhongyi Alexandra Kosteniuk Bibisara Assaubayeva
Alina Kashlinskaya Valentina Gunina Elisabeth Paehtz
Nihal Sarin Javokhir Sindarov Jonas Buhl Bjerre

Global Chess League 2024

The matches will follow a set structure, with all players from one team playing with white pieces and all players from the opposing team playing with black pieces. As the tournament follows a double round-robin format, each team will face every other team twice, once with white and once with black. The board order will remain fixed throughout the event, ensuring consistency in the line-ups for each round.

A unique scoring system has been introduced for the innovative Global Chess League. Teams will earn 3 match points for a win, 1 match point for a draw, and 0 for a loss. However, the game points system within each match is even more distinctive. Players winning with black will earn 4 game points, while those winning with white will receive 3 game points. Draws are worth 1 game point each. This system not only rewards winning but also encourages players to take risks, particularly with the black pieces, making the matches more dynamic and unpredictable.

Global Chess League 2024

The time control for each game is 20 minutes without increments, which is expected to lead to intense time-pressure situations. As players are pushed to make quick decisions in critical moments, the games will likely be decided in the final seconds, adding an extra layer of excitement. This relatively short time format also allows for a well-structured daily schedule.

Matches will be held one at a time, allowing commentators to focus on every match in detail. From 3 to 11 October, either three or four matches will be played daily, for a total of 30 matches. On 12 October, the top two teams from the round-robin phase will meet in a two-match final to decide the champion. If the final ends in a tie, blitz playoffs will follow. Last year's final was decided in such a manner, with Jonas Buhl Bjerre emerging as the hero for the Triveni Continental Kings, the defending champions.

Global Chess League 2024

The 2023 champions - Triveni Continental Kings | Photo: Maria Emelianova

Full schedule

Global Chess League 2024

Links


Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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