ORGANISED BY: Tech Mahindra and FIDE, in association with Dubai Sports Council
CONTACT PERSON: Abhilasha Gupta, Global Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. Email: Abhilasha.Gupta@TechMahindra.com; media.relations@techmahindra.com

DESCRIPTION:
*     GCL is the first and largest official franchise league of its kind event with chess players from all over the world competing in a unique joint team format.
*     It is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group, and FIDE, the World Chess Federation.
*     GCL will feature male and female chess champions competing in the same team.
*     GCL will feature numerous chess icons that include a total of six World Champions in different categories, from 14 different countries.
*     The icons include reigning World champion Ding Liren, the world ranked-1 and five-time World champion Magnus Carlsen, five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand, and four-time woman World champion Hou Yifan, among others.
*     It will also feature top female superstars, including Grandmaster Hou Yifan, a four-time womens World champion and the second highest-rated female player of all time.
*     Hou Yifan is accompanied by Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, Grandmaster Kateryna Lagno, Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk, Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi, Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze, Grandmaster Bella Khotenashvili, Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili, Grandmaster Irina Krush, International Master Polina Shuvalova, and 2018 European Women`s Champion in rapid chess, Elisabeth Paehtz.
*     Six U21 players will also compete in the GCL, with the trio of Grandmasters, Praggnanandhaa R, Raunak Sadhwani, and Nihal Sarin, leading the pack of prodigies.
*     Grandmaster Jonas Buhl Bjerre, Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov, chess prodigy and Grandmaster Andrey Esipenko complete the list of players in the category.
*     In addition, GCL will feature several other superstars of chess, including chess Grandmasters Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Yi Wei, Yu Yangyi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Richard Rapport, Kirill Shevchenko, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Salem Salah.