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Global Chess League: Divya Deshmukh to debut with Carlsen; Nihal Sarin joins rival team

Published on: 29 Jun 2026, 02:17 PM

The Global Chess League (GCL) has announced team compositions for its fourth season, set to be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13. Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers have strengthened their lineup by adding world number one Magnus Carlsen, Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, and reigning world rapid champion Volodar Murzin.

This will be Divya Deshmukh's first appearance in the GCL, while Carlsen returns after missing the previous season. Notably, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, women's world championship contender Vaishali Rameshbabu, and rising star R Praggnanandhaa have opted out of this edition.

At the GCL draft held in Mumbai on Monday, the FYERS American Gambits assembled a formidable roster, acquiring recent Bullet Chess Champion Nihal Sarin, world championship contender Javokhir Sindarov, and three-time world blitz champion Bibisara Assaubayeva. The draft results indicate a competitive balance among the six franchises.

The league will feature a round-robin format followed by playoffs. Full player lists and schedule are expected to be released by organisers in the coming weeks.

Source: Indian Express

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