Liren, Carlsen and Anand to play GCL

CHENNAI: Ding Liren, Magnus Carlsen, and Viswanathan Anand, who are among the crème de la crème of men’s chess, will compete in the inaugural edition of the Global Chess League (GCL), which will be held in Dubai, the UAE, from June 21 to July 2.

The GCL will also feature Hou Yifan, a four-time women’s world champion.

Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani, Nihal Sarin, Vidit Gujrathi, D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi will be the other Indians in action.

Upon confirming his participation, reigning world champion Liren said in a media release: “The GCL appeared to be a fantastic opportunity from the moment I heard about it. I was eager to participate.” On his part, five-time world champion Carlsen said: “The GCL will be a great new event in over-the-board chess that has never been done before. I am excited to be part of this unique format.”

Each of the six teams will comprise six players, including a minimum of two female players.