Mumbai, June 29, 2026: The Global Chess League (GCL) Season 4 draft witnessed major moves as world-class players assembled their teams ahead of the tournament, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13.
India’s newly crowned Bullet Chess Champion and Season 2 MVP Nihal Sarin became one of the biggest attractions of the draft, joining FYERS American Gambits after a competitive bidding battle. The team will feature Javokhir Sindarov, Daniil Dubov, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Sara Khadem and Marc’Andria Maurizzi.
Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers strengthened their squad by retaining chess superstar Magnus Carlsen and adding Women’s Chess World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. Their team also includes Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, Koneru Humpy and Volodar Murzin.
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand made history by moving teams for the first time in GCL, joining PBG Alaskan Knights alongside Arjun Erigaisi. The squad also includes Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Nino Batsiashvili and Abhimanyu Mishra.
Ganges Grandmasters signed Ian Nepomniachtchi and brought back Levon Aronian, while upGrad Mumba Masters retained stars Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Harika Dronavalli.
Triveni Continental Kings will enter the season with Alireza Firouzja, Wei Yi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Zhu Jiner, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Pranav Venkatesh.
Season 4 will feature six teams competing in a unique rapid chess format combining men, women and young talents, with the top two teams advancing to the Grand Finale.
