A legend in the world of chess, Viswanathan Anand, welcomed India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to his sport in style as the cricketer became a co-owner of a chess franchise. Ashwin bought stakes of the American Gambits, a new team that will feature in the second edition of the Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and the International Chess Federation. Ashwin, who is an icon in the sport of cricket, received a stylish welcome by Vishy Anand, who shared a glorious social media post as Ashwin entered the world of chess.

“Congratulations @ashwinravi99 on your exciting new venture into the world of chess! As someone who has bowled out the best in cricket, I’m sure you’ll bring the same competitive spirit to the Global Chess League with the American Gambits. May your rooks and bishops be as unstoppable as your off-spinners!

Best of Luck in London! @GCLlive

Vetri kodi kattu
Malaigalai muttumvarai muttu
Lathchiyam ettum varai ettu
Padaiyedu padaiyappa!,” Anand posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The League on Monday unveiled the six franchises for the second edition to be played in London from October 3 to 12.

American Gambits, owned by prominent business leaders Prachura PP, Venkat K Narayana and Ashwin, will replace Chingari Gulf Titans.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the American Gambits to the chess world. With a blend of strategic brilliance and unwavering determination, our team aims to redefine the game. As co-owner, I’m excited to witness their journey and contribute to their success,” Ashwin was quoted as saying in a media release.

The five other franchise — Alpine SG Pipers, PBG Alaskan Knights, Ganges Grandmasters, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings and Mumba Masters will return for a second season.

Sameer Pathak, CEO, Global Chess League, said, “We are thrilled to welcome the teams for the second season of the Global Chess League. We have found the right partners to strengthen the league’s global reach and look forward to bringing an exciting season of chess to fans worldwide.

“The teams made season one a huge success and we believe that their impact and popularity will continue to expand in the world of chess.” The players will compete in a unique joint team format consisting of six players, including two top women chess players and a prodigy player per team.

Adding to the excitement and anticipation among fans, this innovative format will be aired on major OTT and broadcast platforms worldwide.

Global Chess League Format

In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.

Each team will play 10 matches across black and white pieces. The sides will play five matches, with all six players in each team initially playing with the white or black pieces against their opponents, followed by a reverse round in which the entire team will play five matches with the reversed colour pieces against the same opponent.

The winning team for every match will be determined by the points aggregated from wins and draws across all six games played in the match. The top two sides will advance to the final round.

With PTI Inputs

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