Leading the Icon Boards are reigning World Champion D. Gukesh, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Other top players in the pool are Anish Giri, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, four-time world champion Hou Yifan, and World Cup finalist Koneru Humpy, showcasing a roster of the sport's biggest stars.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The U-21 Prodigy category features Volodar Murzin, the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion, and Marc\u2019Andria Maurizzi, the 2023 World Junior champion, representing the next generation of talent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Franchises will assemble their rosters across four draft rounds, with the player pool divided into Icon Players, Men\u2019s, Women\u2019s, and U-21 Prodigy categories. Marquee names will be the highlight of this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Five-time World Champion, Viswanathan Anand, said, \"GCL is more than a tournament. It\u2019s a celebration of intelligence, teamwork, and creativity. It combines tradition with innovation and creates a platform worthy of the game\u2019s global stature. I\u2019m proud to see such a league emerging from India onto the world stage.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Franchises will assemble their rosters across four draft rounds, with the player pool divided into Icon Players, Men\u2019s, Women\u2019s, and U-21 Prodigy categories. Marquee names will be the highlight of this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
GCL has built a strong audience across popular editions in Dubai and London by combining classical heritage with fast-paced match formats. The third season is now arriving in India, the birthplace of chess, offering an improved, fan-focused experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n