Gukesh, Anand and Praggnanandhaa named Icon Players for GCL Season 3 draft
NEW DELHI: World champion D Gukesh will headline the “Icon Players” list at the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 draft, scheduled for Friday, alongside five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and rising star R Praggnanandhaa.
The high-profile tournament, jointly organized by Tech Mahindra and FIDE, will be held in Chennai from December 13 to 24. Six franchises will form their squads through a four-round draft, with players divided into “Icon”, “Men’s”, “Women’s”, and “U-21 Prodigy” categories.
While the draft boasts a star-studded lineup including American GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave among the 36-player pool, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will not participate after featuring in the first two editions in the UAE and London.
Gukesh, who played in the inaugural season in 2023, returns to the league after skipping the 2024 edition due to his world championship clash with Ding Liren. His presence, alongside Anand and Praggnanandhaa, is expected to make Season 3 a major attraction for Indian chess fans.
