MUMBAI: Chess lovers can rub their hands in glee. For all those who missed watching the Indian grandmasters and international masters take India to a record win at the FIDE Chess Olympiad, here’s a chance to make up for that lost opportunity. 

The Global Chess League (featuring five-time world champion, Viswanathan Anand, current world No 1 and five times world champion Magnus Carlsen), which is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE , is to be streamed live on Jio Cinema between 3 and 12 October. 

“We are delighted to continue our association with the world’s largest franchise chess league. Indian chess is at an exciting juncture, and we believe GCL will play a part in fuelling the growth of the sport furthermore,” says Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy, Acquisitions & Partnerships Hursh Shrivastava. “JioCinema will enable the league to reach a wider audience. We remain steadfast in our endeavour to innovate and engage sporting fans."

Adds Global Chess League CEO Sameer Pathak:, “We are delighted to have JioCinema onboard once again. Their support in the past season as streaming partners was tremendous and it allowed us to accomplish our mission of reaching the masses. We are delighted to extend our association with them in the second season as we continue our mission to spread chess across the world and set new standards for fan engagement."

The league is being held at Friends House in London and features six teams with six players in each team. Among the franchises figure: Triveni Continental Kings, Alpine SG Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, American Gambits and UpGrad Mumba Masters. Each team - having two superstar women, an icon, two superstar male players and a player born in 2003 or later (prodigy)- necessarily have to play 10 matches since the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League is a double round-robin tournament between six teams. 

An icon will play on board no 1, two male players on board no 2 and 3, two female players on board no 4 and 5, and one player born in 2003 or later will play on board no 6. All players of a particular team will play with the same color which the team gets. In the first match between the teams, this shall be determined by a drawing of lots or similar method of chance held 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. In the second match between the teams, the teams shall play with the other colour.

Teams will also play in a fixed board order which cannot be changed after the draw of lots. The time control will be 20 minutes with no increment. Instead of simultaneous start of all six games, it will be staggered start - two games will start after the interval of every two minutes. 

Game points (GP) are awarded in the following way: four GP for a game won with black (including forfeit wins); three GP for a game won with white (including forfeit wins); one GP for drawn game and  zero GP for a lost game. Match points (MP) are awarded in the following way: three MP for the team that scores more GP than their opposing team;  one MP for a team that scores the same GP as their opposing team and zero MP for the team that scores fewer GP than their opposing team.

The Ganges Grandmasters has opted for Viswanathan Anand as its icon player; Alpine SG Pipers for Magnus Carlsen; UpGrad Mumba Masters for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; Triveni Continental for Alireza Firouzja; American Gambits for Hikaru Nakamura and PBG Alaskan Knights for Anish Giri.

The teams are as follows:

Alpine SG Pipers has GM Magnus Carlsen, GM R Praggnanandhaa, GM Richard Rapport, GM Yifan Hou, GM Kateryna Lagno and GM Daniel Dardha on their squad.

The Triveni Continental Kings has GM Wei Yi, GM Firouzja Alireza, GM Radjabov Teimour, GM Kosteniuk Alexandra, GM Gunina Valentina and  GM Sindarov Javokhir.

PBG Alaskan Knights has world rapid 2019 champion GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov and world rapid women 2022 champion, GM Zhongyi Tan,  GM Anish Giri, GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, IM Alina Kashlinskaya and GM Nihal Sarin.

American Gambits, a new team in the league replacing Chingari Gulf Titans, has 'speed king' GM Hikaru Nakamura, FIDE world cup 2021 winner GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, GM Yangyi Yu, two-time consecutive world blitz women's champion, IM Bibisara Assaubayeva, GM Elisabeth Paehtz and GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre.

Upgrad Mumba Masters features  GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Koneru Humpy, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Peter Svidler and GM Raunak Sadhwani.

Finally, Ganges Grandmasters has  GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Parham Maghsoodloo, GM R Vaishali, IM Nurgyul Salimova and GM Volodar Murzin.

The opening ceremony was held on 2 October, with the first round commencing on 3 October at 1:15 pm London time (5:45 pm  IST). The second match starts at 3:55 pm LT  (8:25 pm IST) and  the third at 5:15 pm LT  (9:45 pm IST).  While the same schedule will be followed on all days, there will be an additional game on 4,5,6 October at 2:30 pm LT (9:30 pm IST).  The final is scheduled to be played on 12 October with the first game at 1:15 pm LT (5:45 pm IST) and the second one at 2:35 pm LT (7:05 pm IST).

The Global Chess League also is looking to set benchmarks for tech innovations in the sport as Tech Mahindra will explore unique fan engagements to promote the game, particularly across London and the UK by leveraging next-gen technologies such as AI, metaverse, AR/VR, among others.