Global Chess League’s fourth season opens in Bengaluru on September 5

The fourth season of the Global Chess League will open in Bengaluru on September 5, organisers said. Previous editions have been held in Dubai, London and Mumbai.

Peeyush Dubey, the league’s chairperson, said organisers chose Bengaluru because of the city’s engagement with chess and its fit with Tech Mahindra’s technology focus. Schools and chess clubs in the city have expressed interest in the event, he said.

The Global Chess League is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, chess’s world governing body. It returns to India for a second consecutive year after the previous edition was held in Mumbai.

Dubey said most sponsors from the Mumbai season had returned and new sponsors had joined. He also cited former Spain footballer Gerard Pique’s investment in the Fyers American Gambits franchise, whose owners include former India cricketer R. Ashwin.

Organisers expect the Bengaluru edition to be larger than last year’s Mumbai event. The league said its previous season reached more than 211 million people across media platforms.