3 min readMumbaiJun 29, 2026 08:51 PM IST
When the fourth edition of the Global Chess League is held this September, teams might be able to jiggle around their players. In three seasons so far, players have been restricted to playing on fixed boards, meaning players picked for the ‘icon board’ can only take on the icon player of the other team. But in a bid to offer more strategic options to teams, the GCL could allow teams to decide their board orders. This means that in a battle between Alpine APL Pipers and FYERS American Gambits, for example, one team might opt to play Javokhir Sindarov on a different board than against Carlsen.
League commissioner Gourav Rakshit said that currently the idea was in an exploratory phase, but was likely to be formalised in the coming weeks so that all the six teams have enough time to work on how they can use the new rule to their advantage in the tournament that will be held in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13.
“This will be something that we haven’t seen before in GCL. It is extremely powerful from an entertainment point of view and from a strategy point of view. This is going to make the tournament itself a lot more exciting,” Rakshit told The Indian Express after the season 4 draft of the GCL. “We’re also looking at whether we can include a rest day in the tournament, which gives teams a chance to reset if they are not doing well.”
He added that the league was also looking to bring in heart-rate monitors, which have been tried at other chess events like Freestyle Chess. The heart-rate monitor offers fans the chance to get a peek into a player’s emotions when they are in a crunch situation in a game.
“The heart-rate monitor potentially gives a little more insight into the drama that’s actually unfolding over the board. That’s also something that we’re exploring,” Rakshit added.
When the GCL starts, fans are also likely to be given the chance to contemplate moves from live games.
The fourth season of GCL will have former world champion Magnus Carlsen back after he skipped last edition, while Divya Deshmukh will feature for the first time. The biggest absentees are world champion Gukesh, women’s world championship contender Vaishali Rameshbabu and R Praggnanandhaa.
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“Gukesh indicated early on that he wouldn’t be available. Vaishali as well. Because they’re preparing for the World Championships. The Olympiad being right after also potentially has an effect although all the other players headed to the Olympiad are actually participating in GCL,” Rakshit said. “The chess calendar this year is overflowing with tournaments. In fact, there are marquee tournaments that have overlaps where players are having to make a choice. That’s something that is being addressed at a central level by FIDE. So next year FIDE will look to give us a clean slot again.”
