Ian Nepomniachtchi at the Global Chess League

FIDE title

Grandmaster

Federation

Russia

2026 team

Ganges Grandmasters

2026 board

Icon (board one)

Seasons

2023, 2026

FIDE id

4168119

Nepomniachtchi was the Icon of the Balan Alaskan Knights in the first league season in 2023. He returns in 2026 as the Icon of the Ganges Grandmasters.

In the 2026 season Nepomniachtchi plays for the Ganges Grandmasters on board one as the team's Icon. The season runs from 5 to 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India.

Global Chess League record

In 2023 the Balan Alaskan Knights, with Teimour Radjabov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Tan Zhongyi, Nino Batsiashvili and Raunak Sadhwani alongside Nepomniachtchi, finished sixth in Dubai. He did not play in 2024 or 2025.

1. 1.2023: Balan Alaskan Knights, Icon. Team result: sixth.

Career highlights

1. 1.Won the Candidates Tournament in 2020-21 and again in 2022, the first player to win two in a row.
2. 2.World championship challenger in 2021 against Magnus Carlsen and in 2023 against Ding Liren, when the match was decided on rapid tiebreaks.
3. 3.Shared the 2024 World Blitz Championship title with Magnus Carlsen in New York.
4. 4.Silver medal at the 2022 Fischer Random World Championship in Reykjavik.
5. 5.His blitz rating is the highest of his three FIDE ratings on the September 2026 list.
6. 6.On the September 2026 FIDE rating list, Nepomniachtchi is rated 2719 in classical chess, 2729 in rapid and 2765 in blitz.

2026 season

Ian Nepomniachtchi plays the 2026 season with the Ganges Grandmasters, which runs from 5 to 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India. Nepomniachtchi's squad mates are Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez, Polina Shuvalova, Stavroula Tsolakidou and Leon Mendonca.

Each Global Chess League match is played on six boards of rapid chess, one board per squad member, and a win with Black earns the team more game points than a win with White. The format and scoring page explains the points. Matches are streamed free; the how-to-watch page lists the streams and the IST start times.

• —Matches played: 4
• —Match points: 6
• —Game points: 28
• —Position: 5 of 6

1. 1.Saturday 5 September, 17:00 IST: Ganges Grandmasters 10–9 Triveni Continental Kings
2. 2.Sunday 6 September, 15:30 IST: Ganges Grandmasters 6–11 Alpine APL Pipers
3. 3.Sunday 6 September, 18:30 IST: Ganges Grandmasters 9–7 FYERS American Gambits
4. 4.Monday 7 September, 17:00 IST: CheQ Mumba Masters 12–3 Ganges Grandmasters

Results were last checked on 7 September 2026 at 8:44 PM IST.

The 2026 final is scheduled for Sunday 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India. The champion appears here after the final.

2026 games

Nepomniachtchi has 4 finished games in the 2026 season: 1 win, 3 draws, 0 losses, 6 team points earned.

1. 1.Saturday 5 September, 17:00 IST: board 1, White against Firouzja, Alireza (Triveni Continental Kings), draw.
2. 2.Sunday 6 September, 15:30 IST: board 1, White against Carlsen, Magnus (Alpine APL Pipers), draw.
3. 3.Sunday 6 September, 18:30 IST: board 1, White against Sindarov, Javokhir (FYERS American Gambits), win.
4. 4.Monday 7 September, 17:00 IST: board 1, Black against Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (CheQ Mumba Masters), draw.

Daily reports mentioning Nepomniachtchi

1. 1.Day 2: Grandmasters stop Gambits as three teams tie

Frequently asked questions

More on the league: the Global Chess League 2026 hub, the schedule, the points table and the league overview with every season since 2023.