New Delhi: The Global Chess League (GCL) concluded a high-stakes Player Draft in Mumbai ahead of the much-anticipated third season to be played at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, 2025. GCL, a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, is set to raise the bar even higher in a blockbuster Season 3, which will witness iconic players such as reigning World Champion D. Gukesh, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, among others.

At the Player Draft on Thursday, PBG Alaskan Knights pulled off a blockbuster move by bagging India’s superstar pair of Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi. Filipino-American chess grandmaster Wesley So attracted massive interest and joined upGrad Mumba Masters after a fierce bidding war as six franchises

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