Gukesh, Erigaisi form star pairing, debutant Wesley sparks bidding war as GCL Season 3 draft unfolds

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 26 (ANI): The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, set the stage for Season 3 at a high-stakes Player Draft in Mumbai. PBG Alaskan Knights pulled off a blockbuster move by securing India's star duo Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi.

Debutant Wesley So triggered a fierce bidding battle before joining upGrad Mumba Masters as six franchises built their squads--with the league set to be played at Mumbai's Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, 2025.

Building on the momentum of Dubai (2023) and London (2024), Season 3 marks GCL's arrival in India, where both chess and the idea of the league were born. At the draft, the Icon Round set the ball rolling as Alpine SG Pipers snapped up Fabiano Caruana, PBG Alaskan Knights edged out rivals to secure Gukesh. At the same time, five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand continued to be with the Ganges Grandmasters.

Speaking on the occasion, Peeyush Dubey, Chairperson, Global Chess League, said as quoted from a press release by GCL, "Bringing the Global Chess League to India is a statement on where the sport stands today. India is not only the birthplace of chess but also its most dynamic growth market, producing champions and inspiring millions. At the same time, GCL remains a truly global league, uniting players and fans from every corner of the world. The successful completion of the draft sets the stage, and we are ready for a spectacular Season 3 this December at Mumbai's Royal Opera House, even as the league continues to chart a worldwide journey in the years ahead."

Adding to the day's drama, upGrad Mumba Masters made a bold play for So, swooping for the American Grandmaster after a tug-of-war with American Gambits and PBG Alaskan Knights. Ganges Grandmasters strengthened their roster with 20-year-old Vincent Keymer.

On securing his favoured pick, Suhail Chandhok, CEO, upGrad Mumba Masters, said: "We wanted to retain the core of our squad, and we managed to do that with Harika, Humpy, and MVL. We had most boxes ticked. One thing on our mind was to get one of our top picks from male superstars, and we got our top pick, Wesley So."

Meanwhile, the headline-grabbing duel of the round saw Erigaisi spark a three-way contest; after a flurry of bids, PBG Alaskan Knights won out, uniting him with Gukesh to form India's dream pairing.

"We had a big task because we had to pick all six players, and we are happy that we got World Champion Gukesh, along with a balanced team in the end. They (Gukesh & Arjun) will be more than happy to satisfy the fans with their performance. It's happening in India, and it will definitely bring more cheer to our team," said PBG Alaskan Knights' Coach Abhijit Kunte.

Ahead of the draft, four teams strengthened their teams with retentions. Alpine SG Pipers retained Hou Yifan and R Praggnanandhaa, while American Gambits secured Hikaru Nakamura and Bibisara Assaubayeva before the draft. Alireza Firouzja, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Wei Yi stayed with Triveni Continental Kings following their title win last season. Indian Superstar Women Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli, as well as GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, were retained by upGrad Mumba Masters.

"There are a lot of dynamics and uncertainty (in a draft), it's like playing chess on a much bigger board. Also, I am really happy and pleased that the tournament is coming to India, which I believe is the most happening country in the world when it comes to chess. We are happy with our picks!" analysed American Gambits' Head Coach Shrinath Narayanan afterwards.

The Superstar Women round was headlined by Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Jiner's smashing swoop by the Triveni Continental Kings, following an intense bidding war against the room. Kateryna Lagno's move to PBG Alaskan Knights added more star power to their roster, while Ganges and Alpine built depth with steady picks.

"Our stategy was to create a team that is highly competitive, has a killer instinct, and to have good people that are going to get along, because the psychology of the sport is quite serious. We wanted to have people who will function well as a team," remarked Akash Premsen, CEO of two-time reigning champions, Triveni Continental Kings.

The final round, featuring some of the chess world's sharpest prodigies, started with Ganges snapping up Raunak Sadhwani and American Gambits securing Volodar Murzin. PBG Alaskan Knights countered by signing Daniel Dardha, while Alpine SG Pipers secured Leon Mendonca.

"We looked for consistency, we thought it was better to have more balanced players and the focus was to get players who will do well overall. We have a very good team, Fabiano Caruana is fantastic, Pragg has been doing consistency well, and Hou Yifan is the best female player in the world," said Alpine SG Pipers' Head Coach Pravin Thipsay.

Speaking strategy on the sidelines, Ganges Grandmasters' Head Coach Vishnu Prasad said, "The main thing we wanted was a young team-and we succeeded in that, excluding Vishy! I am very happy with what we have picked. It's a team event and every player is important."

Played over 12 days, the six-team franchise league will feature a double-round-robin format, with each team playing ten matches, decided on a best-of-six board system. Also new this year is GCL Contenders 2025, a global initiative offering aspiring players a direct pathway to the GCL Draft. Three winners from six time zones will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play alongside Grandmasters in the world's first franchise-based chess league.

GCL Season 3 Squads:

American Gambits: Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, Volodar Murzin

Alpine SG Pipers: Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa R, Anish Giri, Hou Yifan, Nino Batsiashvili, Leon Mendonca

Ganges Grandmasters: Viswanathan Anand, Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Polina Shuvalova, Raunak Sadhwani

upGrad Mumba Masters: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Wesley So, Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Bardiya Daneshvar

PBG Alaskan Knights: Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Leinier Dominguez, Sara Khadem, Kateryna Lagno, Daniel Dardha

Triveni Continental Kings: Alireza Firouzja, Yi Wei, Vidit Gujrathi, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Zhu Jiner, Marc'Andria Maurizzi. (ANI)

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