Global Chess League Season 3 Draft: A New Era of Chess Excellence

The Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 draft, held in Mumbai in September 2025, marked a significant milestone in the world of professional chess. Bringing together a stellar roster of international grandmasters and rising talents, the draft set the stage for an exhilarating competition running from December 13 to 24, 2025. This season is particularly notable as the first India-based edition of the GCL, intensifying excitement among chess enthusiasts worldwide.

Unveiling the Draft Format

The GCL draft is a high-stakes auction-style event where six international teams strategically select players to form their rosters. Each team is designed with a fixed-board format, consisting of one Icon player, two men, two women, and one U-21 Prodigy, reflecting the league’s commitment to both gender balance and the promotion of young talent.

Teams and Star Players

The draft produced several headline-grabbing recruitments and retention confirmations:

PBG Alaskan Knights secured India’s dynamic duo, Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi, alongside top international players like Leinier Dominguez and Kateryna Lagno.
upGrad Mumba Masters won the bidding for Wesley So, a former World Fischer Random Champion and one of the game’s foremost talents, further strengthening their squad with Harika Dronavalli, Koneru Humpy, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Other teams, such as Alpine SG Pipers and American Gambits, retained stalwarts such as Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa R, Hou Yifan, Hikaru Nakamura, and Richard Rapport, ensuring fierce competition.
The Triveni Continental Kings and Ganges Grandmasters also field a mix of world-class experience and youthful promise, featuring players like Alireza Firouzja, Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Raunak Sadhwani.

The GCL Contenders 2025 initiative, introduced alongside the draft, opened new horizons for emerging players worldwide, allowing them to compete alongside grandmasters and gain global exposure.

Season 3 Competition Outlook

Scheduled at the historic Royal Opera House in Mumbai, Season 3 will feature a double round-robin format across six teams. Matches are played as best-of-six boards, making strategic team composition and depth critically important.

With this new season, the GCL not only showcases elite international chess talent but also underscores its commitment to growing the sport globally, nurturing young prodigies, and promoting gender balance within competitive chess. Fans can expect high drama, innovative strategies, and world-class chess battles in one of the most anticipated events on the chess calendar.

As the Global Chess League Season 3 unfolds, it promises to elevate the game’s popularity and inspire the next generation of chess enthusiasts worldwide.

This draft and the upcoming season reaffirm the GCL’s role as a pioneering platform, blending tradition with innovation in the 64 squares of chess competition. Stay tuned for the thrilling encounters starting December 2025!

Unveiling the Draft Format

Teams and Star Players

The draft produced several headline-grabbing recruitments and retention confirmations:

PBG Alaskan Knights secured India’s dynamic duo, Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi, alongside top international players like Leinier Dominguez and Kateryna Lagno.
upGrad Mumba Masters won the bidding for Wesley So, a former World Fischer Random Champion and one of the game’s foremost talents, further strengthening their squad with Harika Dronavalli, Koneru Humpy, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Other teams, such as Alpine SG Pipers and American Gambits, retained stalwarts such as Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa R, Hou Yifan, Hikaru Nakamura, and Richard Rapport, ensuring fierce competition.
The Triveni Continental Kings and Ganges Grandmasters also field a mix of world-class experience and youthful promise, featuring players like Alireza Firouzja, Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Raunak Sadhwani.

The GCL Contenders 2025 initiative, introduced alongside the draft, opened new horizons for emerging players worldwide, allowing them to compete alongside grandmasters and gain global exposure.

Season 3 Competition Outlook

As the Global Chess League Season 3 unfolds, it promises to elevate the game’s popularity and inspire the next generation of chess enthusiasts worldwide.

Unveiling the Draft Format

Teams and Star Players

The draft produced several headline-grabbing recruitments and retention confirmations:

PBG Alaskan Knights secured India’s dynamic duo, Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi, alongside top international players like Leinier Dominguez and Kateryna Lagno.
upGrad Mumba Masters won the bidding for Wesley So, a former World Fischer Random Champion and one of the game’s foremost talents, further strengthening their squad with Harika Dronavalli, Koneru Humpy, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Other teams, such as Alpine SG Pipers and American Gambits, retained stalwarts such as Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa R, Hou Yifan, Hikaru Nakamura, and Richard Rapport, ensuring fierce competition.
The Triveni Continental Kings and Ganges Grandmasters also field a mix of world-class experience and youthful promise, featuring players like Alireza Firouzja, Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Raunak Sadhwani.

The GCL Contenders 2025 initiative, introduced alongside the draft, opened new horizons for emerging players worldwide, allowing them to compete alongside grandmasters and gain global exposure.

Season 3 Competition Outlook

As the Global Chess League Season 3 unfolds, it promises to elevate the game’s popularity and inspire the next generation of chess enthusiasts worldwide.