Chess events
Global Chess League: Teams, Seasons and Winners
What the GCL is, who plays in it, who has won it, and where the 2026 season stands. Every 2026 number on this page comes from the results feed and updates after each finished match.
What the Global Chess League is
The Global Chess League, or GCL, is a franchise team chess league run as a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, the world chess federation. Its full name is the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. Six franchise teams, each with six players, play rapid team matches. The first season was in Dubai in 2023, followed by London in 2024, Mumbai in 2025 and Bengaluru in 2026.
Every team fields one Icon, two Superstar men, two Superstar women and one Prodigy, so every match is six games between mixed squads. The scoring rewards risk: a win with Black is worth 4 game points, a win with White 3, a draw 1 for each side. The team with more game points wins the match and 3 match points. The teams play a double round robin, and the top two meet in a best-of-two final. The prize fund has been USD 1,000,000 in every season.
The six teams of 2026 are the Alpine APL Pipers, Triveni Continental Kings, FYERS American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights and CheQ Mumba Masters. Five of them have played since 2023 under one or more names; the American Gambits joined in 2024 in place of Chingari Gulf Titans. Each team has its own page below with the squad, the owners and the results season by season.
Triveni Continental Kings won the first two seasons, in 2023 after a sudden-death final against upGrad Mumba Masters and in 2024 with a 2-0 final against PBG Alaskan Knights. Alpine SG Pipers won the 2025 title in Mumbai, beating Triveni 2-0 in the final. The winners page lists every final, the MVPs and the notable facts of each season.
Current season: Global Chess League 2026 in Bengaluru
| # | Team | Played | Match points | Game points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  PipersAlpine APL Pipers | 4 | 9 | 43 |
| 2 |  MastersCheQ Mumba Masters | 4 | 6 | 36 |
| 3 |  GambitsFYERS American Gambits | 4 | 6 | 34 |
| 4 |  KnightsPBG Alaskan Knights | 4 | 6 | 30 |
| 5 |  GrandmastersGanges Grandmasters | 4 | 6 | 28 |
| 6 |  KingsTriveni Continental Kings | 4 | 3 | 34 |
Results last checked on 7 September 2026 at 8:44 PM IST.
Full coverage of the 2026 season: GCL 2026 overview, points table, schedule, where to watch
Daily reports
- 1.Day 1: Gambits win twice to take the first lead
- 2.Day 2: Grandmasters stop Gambits as three teams tie
The six teams of 2026
Alpine APL Pipers
Formerly Alpine SG Pipers
Icon: Magnus Carlsen
Coach: Pravin Thipsay
CheQ Mumba Masters
Formerly upGrad Mumba Masters
Icon: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Coach: P. Harikrishna
The FYERS American Gambits page is the partner page of Zapp Chess with the same structure.
Seasons and champions
- 1.2023, Dubai: Triveni Continental Kings beat upGrad Mumba Masters in the final. Full 2023 results and standings
- 2.2024, London: Triveni Continental Kings beat PBG Alaskan Knights in the final. Full 2024 results and standings
- 3.2025, Mumbai: Alpine SG Pipers beat Triveni Continental Kings in the final. Full 2025 results and standings
- 4.2026, Bengaluru, India: The 2026 final is scheduled for Sunday 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India. The champion appears here after the final. Global Chess League 2026
All champions, finals and MVPs: Global Chess League winners and past seasons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GCL?
GCL stands for Global Chess League, a franchise team chess league founded in 2023 as a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE. Six teams of six players play rapid matches in a double round robin, and the top two play a final. Its full name is the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.
What is the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League?
It is the full name of the Global Chess League. Tech Mahindra, part of the Mahindra Group, founded the league with FIDE and gives it its title. The seasons so far: Dubai 2023, London 2024, Mumbai 2025 and Bengaluru 2026, each with a USD 1,000,000 prize fund.
Is the Global Chess League the Indian chess league?
No. The Global Chess League is an international franchise league with players from many countries, founded by an Indian company, Tech Mahindra, together with FIDE. Its seasons have been played in Dubai, London, Mumbai and Bengaluru. It is a different competition from national leagues and from online team leagues such as the Pro Chess League.
Which teams play in the Global Chess League?
Six teams in 2026: Alpine APL Pipers, Triveni Continental Kings, FYERS American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights and CheQ Mumba Masters. Each team page on this site has the squad, the owners and the history.
Who won the Global Chess League?
Triveni Continental Kings won in 2023 and 2024, and Alpine SG Pipers won in 2025. The 2026 final is scheduled for Sunday 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India. The champion appears here after the final.
Team pages: Alpine APL Pipers, Triveni Continental Kings, FYERS American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, CheQ Mumba Masters