GCL Season 4 Draft: Nihal Sarin Sparks Bidding War, Divya Deshmukh Joins Carlsen; Anand Teams Up With Arjun Erigaisi

GCL Season 4 Draft: Nihal Sarin sparks bidding war, Divya Deshmukh joins Carlsen; Anand teams up wit (Image Source: IANS)

World Rapid Champion Magnus Carlsen: Newly-crowned Bullet Chess Champion and Season 2 MVP, Nihal Sarin, emerged as one of the most sought-after names before joining FYERS American Gambits as the Global Chess League (GCL) lit the countdown for Season 4—scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13—with the player draft in Mumbai on Monday.

Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers strengthened their title defence around Magnus Carlsen and Women’s Chess World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, while five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand moved teams for the first time in the league's history to join Arjun Erigaisi at PBG Alaskan Knights.

Season 4 marks Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, continuing its commitment to India, the birthplace of chess and one of the fastest-growing forces in the global arena. Following three seasons across Dubai, London, and Mumbai, the league now heads to Bengaluru.

Speaking at the player draft, Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner, Global Chess League, said: “What began as an ambitious vision to reimagine chess as a modern global sports and entertainment property has, over the last three seasons, evolved into one of the marquee events on the international chess calendar. GCL has demonstrated that the future of the sport lies not in changing its essence, but in expanding how it is experienced. As we look ahead to Season 4, the focus remains on continuing to grow the game’s global relevance and reach.”

With Triveni Continental Kings, Alpine APL Pipers, and upGrad Mumba Masters retaining their Icons, the draft began with Fyers American Gambits winning the battle for 2026 Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov. PBG Alaskan Knights and Ganges Grandmasters signed Anand and Ian Nepomniachtchi, respectively.

FYERS American Gambits then came away with one of the draft’s headline additions, winning a competitive battle to secure Sarin after the Indian became the first from the country to win the Bullet Chess Championship. One of the most in-demand names in the room, Nihal joins a young core featuring 2026 Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov, Daniil Dubov, Sara Khadem, Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Marc’Andria Maurizzi.

Prachura PP, co-owner, Fyers American Gambits, said, “We’re quite happy with our team composition. It’s an exciting team, a young team. Season 4 with this team is going to be special; for us, Bengaluru is our city, you can expect a lot of fans, and we’re going to show the others that we are the ‘home’ team.”

Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers made their biggest statement early, retaining six-time World Rapid Champion Magnus Carlsen and GCL Season 3 Finals MVP Anish Giri, before adding Women’s Chess World Cup 2025 winner Divya Deshmukh, Indian great Koneru Humpy, Vidit Gujrathi, and reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin to complete one of the strongest squads in the field.

GM Pravin Thipsay, coach, Alpine APL Pipers, said, “It’s going to be more challenging this year. We hope to retain the title this year, but I am sure all the other teams will be more motivated because everyone wants to beat the champions, particularly with Magnus Carlsen playing!”

Last year’s runners-up, Triveni Continental Kings, opted for consistency, retaining Season 3 MVP Alireza Firouzja, as well as Wei Yi and Zhu Jiner ahead of the draft. The two-time champions brought back Alexandra Kosteniuk and welcomed Indian duo Aravindh Chithambram and Pranav Venkatesh for the new season.

Akash Premsen, CEO, Triveni Continental Kings, said, “For us, team dynamics is everything. We have built a very strong team, and we are looking forward to season four. The goal is not only to play chess, but to be the best versions of ourselves on the boards. Season 4 will be exciting; without a doubt, we are the team to watch.”

PBG Alaskan Knights backed a blend of proven names and emerging talent at the auction, bringing in five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand to join retained star Arjun Erigaisi. The franchise also added Turkish debutant Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and welcomed Nino Batsiashvili as part of its Season 4 squad build.

Punit Balan, Team Owner, PBG Alaskan Knights, said: “Having Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi in our team gives us representatives of two eras of Indian chess greatness, the foundation and the future. That balance makes this squad exciting, and we’re looking forward to the season ahead.”

After securing Ian Nepomniachtchi in the Icons round, Ganges Grandmasters made one of the draft’s defining moves by aggressively pursuing Levon Aronian, bringing the former World Cup winner back into the league after a two-season absence. The franchise completed its squad with retained stars Polina Shuvalova and Stavroula Tsolakidou, alongside Leinier Dominguez and Indian prodigy Leon Luke Mendonca.

Sreekar Channapragada of the Ganges Grandmasters said, “We were going for Nepo [Ian Nepomniachtchi] on the icon board; we wanted Levon Aronian, we wanted Leinier Dominguez, and, of course, Leon [Luke Mendonca], who won gold at the recent World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships. It’s a well-balanced team.”

Meanwhile, upGrad Mumba Masters built from continuity, retaining Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, and Harika Dronavalli before making selective additions. The franchise added Carissa Yip and brought back Bardiya Daneshvar, keeping together much of the group that delivered strongly last season.

Suhail Chandhok, CEO, Mumba Masters, said, “We came into the draft with a lot of boxes ticked. To get Carissa Yip was a big positive for us; she’s a young player, doing great things globally. Bardiya Daneshvar was a revelation last year. To have him back is great.”

Played over 11 days, the six-team franchise league will feature a round-robin group phase–where each team will play the other twice–with the top two teams advancing to play the Grand Finale. Each franchise fields six players across four categories, including one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy, in a globally unique format where men, women, and prodigies compete together with equal value. Built around rapid chess and team strategy, every result carries weight, and ties remain alive deep into the final boards, creating a format designed for intensity, momentum swings, and fan engagement unlike anything else in the sport.

Global Chess League Season 4 Teams:

FYERS American Gambits: Javokhir Sindarov, Nihal Sarin, Daniil Dubov, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Sara Khadem, Marc'Andria Maurizzi

Alpine APL Pipers: Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, Volodar Murzin

Ganges Grandmasters: Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian, Leinier Domínguez, Polina Shuvalova, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Leon Luke Mendonca

upGrad Mumba Masters: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Carissa Yip, Harika Dronavalli, Bardiya Daneshvar

Ganges Grandmasters: Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian, Leinier Domínguez, Polina Shuvalova, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Leon Luke Mendonca

Triveni Continental Kings: Alireza Firouzja, Wei Yi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Zhu Jiner, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Pranav Venkatesh

Article Source: IANS