chessbase india logo

GCL Invitational Chess tournament in Mumbai!

by Himank Ghosh - 23/05/2023

The Global Chess League (GCL) is a franchise based chess league bringing fans together to witness the game in a never-seen-before avatar. This star-studded tournament with a huge prize fund will kick off from 21st June 2023 at Dubai. Celebrating the occassion and spreading awareness about this wonderful event, GCL has planned an amazing tournament - The GCL Invitational Chess Tournament for chess players in Mumbai on 26th May, at the Bandra Fort. There's a small entry fee, and there are huge prizes. Get to know all about this team tournament taking place in one of the most famous tourist spots of the city.

3 Ipads to be won at the Global Chess League Invitational in Mumbai

There are top-level chess tournaments all across the world with various different formats - the knockout format (World Cup), Team tournament (Olympiad), Round-robin (Candidates) are few that come to mind. But what we have been missing in chess is an official franchise league, like every sports has nowadays. Global Chess League fills that gap. Having a unique team format, a huge prize fund and both male and female players in each team, the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League will be a gamechanger in over the board chess, kicking off at Dubai from 21st June.

The prize fund for this amazing tournament is a huge USD 1 million.
The 5-time-World Champion Vishy Anand is also hugely involved in the Global Chess League!

One of the most exciting things about the global chess league is it's unique format!
Jagdish Mitra is the head of growth at Tech Mahindra, and the chairperson of Global Chess League!

Since the Global Chess league is starting in just a few weeks from now, a special event will be held in Mumbai for creating awareness about this league! Come join us on a Friday evening at Bandra Fort in Mumbai on the 26th of May. This will be a get together for celebrating chess - apart from an amazing team chess tournament, there are many other fun activities planned!

There is something planned for everyone - for the audience members who are not playing the tournament, there'll be a special pop-up chess quiz! | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

You have all seen/heard of a regular flashmob, where an unannounced dance routine suddenly starts in the middle of a crowd. But what about a chess flashmob? This will be something interesting to witness!

Just like what we do at the ChessBase India chess club tournaments, if you are not taking part in the tournament, you can still play chess with your friends and just have a good time!

All about the GCL Invitational on 26th May

Celebrating the Global chess league, a very special team tournament will take place at Bandra Fort, Mumbai on 26th May!

The Global Chess League will have 6 players on each team, consisting of the world's top players and prodigies. Following the same format, there will be 3 players in each team in the GCL invitational in Mumbai. The Blitz tournament will take place on 26th May at the Bandra Fort in Mumbai! There's a nominal entry fee of Rs.100, with exciting prizes for the Top 3 teams and some special prizes as well. Register your 3-player team for the tournament here.

Format:

32 teams will be divided into 4 pools with almost equal average ratings as far as possible. Each pool will have a Tournament with 3 Rounds in a swiss pairing system. Here's where the unique part comes in - there will be 2 games per round between two competing teams. Team A will play white on all 3 boards in the first game, while Team B plays all 3 boards with Black. In the next game, they will reverse the colors.

As the Global Chess League is revolutionizing the chess world in many ways, the organizers want to keep a glimpse of that in this tournament also by introducing this very fresh format!

Time control

The time control for the tournament is 3 minutes +2 seconds increment per move for all games.

Points system

There will be a points system as follows : 

Each win with white pieces will be awarded 3 points.

Each Draw will be awarded 1 point each.

Each Loss will be considered to be zero in a points table.

Each win with Black pieces will be awarded 4 points. Hence, a team can score a maximum of 21 points in one round (2 Games)!

Since winning with the Black pieces is considered more challenging, there's a point incentive provided to encourage fighting chess and playing for a win!

Tiebreak rules

In case of a tie in the pool swiss Standings in GAME POINTS for both colors White and Black (only for the Top Spot), The following tiebreaks will be applied:

Match Points (3 for team win, 1 for Team Draw, 0 for Team loss).

Difference between Points won and Points Lost.

Number of wins with Black Pieces.

If the tie persists even then, we will have a bullet tiebreak with both colors until we get the winner.

What happens after the Pool stage?

The top team of each pool will have to fight for the Semi Final in a 2-game match, in which the team scoring higher points advances to the finals. If the scores are leveled, a random board will be called for an Armageddon Game. In the Armageddon matchup, White will have 5 minutes, while Black will have 4 minutes but with draw odds. The pairing will be: Pool A winner vs Pool C Winner, & Pool B winner vs Pool D winner.

In an armageddon game, White has a time advantage over Black. But White has to win the game - if a draw happens, Black wins! Here's Vishy Anand en route to beat the World #1 Magnus Carlsen in an armageddon matchup in Norway Chess 2022.

The Finals will be played between the winners of the Semi-Finals in a 2-game match, in which the team scoring higher points wins the Tournament. Same tiebreak rules as semi-finals apply!

IA Vivek Sohani will be the chief arbiter of this tournament!

Tournament venue

Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, is a historic fortification located in the suburb of Bandra in Mumbai, India. It is situated at Land's End, overlooking the Arabian Sea, and holds significant historical and architectural importance in the city. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower to guard the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. Its strategic location provided a vantage point to monitor the activities of ships and potential invaders. During its early years, the fort served as a crucial defensive outpost for the Portuguese against the Marathas and the British. However, as the British East India Company gained control over Mumbai in the 18th century, Bandra Fort lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disuse. Today, Bandra Fort stands as a historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction in Mumbai.

Come join us at 4 PM on 26th May at Bandra Fort for a beautiful chess-filled evening!

It offers breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the surrounding coastline. The fort's well-preserved architecture and scenic location make it a favored spot for locals and visitors alike, especially during sunset. During its early years, the fort served as a crucial defensive outpost for the Portuguese against the Marathas and the British. However, as the British East India Company gained control over Mumbai in the 18th century, Bandra Fort lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disuse. Today, Bandra Fort stands as a historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction in Mumbai. It offers breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the surrounding coastline. The fort's well-preserved architecture and scenic location make it a favored spot for locals and visitors alike, especially during sunset.

The Bandra fort is one of the most beautiful locations of the city!

Prize structure

There are many attractive prizes planned for the tournament! Here's the Prize structure:

Winning Team: 3 IPads +3 Trophies

1st Runner-up Team: 3 trophies

2nd Runner-up Team: 3 ChessBase Premium Memberships

Best creative Team name: 3 ChessBase India Chess sets

Youngest Team (team with the youngest average age): 3 "ChessPa in Chess Adventure Park" books

This Global Chess League promotional poster fits perfectly here - bring out the best player in you for these amazing prizes!

Attending prize distribution ceremony is mandatory. If a team / representative captain is absent at the PD function, the prize will be given to next eligible team.

How to register for the tournament?

Since this is a team tournament, there need to be 3 players who register as a team for the event. We encourage all the players to come up with creative team names! The entry fee for each team is a nominal INR 100. You can scan the QR code below to pay the amount:

Alternatively, you can also send us the amount in the following UPI ID: chessbaseindia@okhdfcbank

After that, fill up this Google form for the tournament entry, with details of all 3 team members, name of the team captain, and a team name.

After 40 teams have registered, we will close the google form. 32 teams will be selected at the venue in a first-come-first serve basis, so make sure to hurry up!

The gates will be open from 2 PM IST - if you want to confirm your team's entry, be there on time!

Now all that remains for you is to come and play the GCL Invitational Chess Tournament! Come at the Bandra Fort by 4 PM sharp on 26th May for a brand-new chess tournament with many exciting prizes. The event will be organized jointly by ChessBase India and NODWIN Gaming.

Important links

Global Chess League Official website

Global Chess League Twitter

FIDE article on Global Chess League

Fill up this google form, and join us on 26th May at Bandra Fort for the GCL Invitational Chess Tournament!


Related news:
रोमांचक फाइनल में त्रिवेणी कॉन्टिनेन्टल किंग्स बनी टेक महिंद्रा ग्लोबल चैस लीग की विजेता

@ 03/07/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Jonas Buhl Bjerre wins a thriller for Triveni Continental Kings to clinch Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

@ 02/07/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
त्रिवेणी कॉन्टिनेन्टल किंग्स और मुंबा मास्टर्स में होगा ग्लोबल चैस लीग का फाइनल

@ 02/07/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Yash, Krishanter and Vedant win a ticket to Global Chess League Finals!

@ 01/07/2023 by Himank Ghosh (en)
Tech Mahindra GCL: Triveni Continental Kings will face upGrad Mumba Masters in the Finals

@ 01/07/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D9 : अरोनियन और टीसीके नें दिखाया दम, फाइनल की दौड़ हुई रोमांचक

@ 01/07/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 9: Aronian astounds Carlsen and Nepo, Triveni Continental Kings jump to third place

@ 30/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D8 : गंगाज ग्रांड मास्टर्स की वापसी ,आज साफ होगी फाइनल की तस्वीर

@ 30/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 8: Ganges Grandmasters and Triveni Continental Kings win close battles

@ 29/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D7 : आनंद से करीबी मैच जीते कार्लसन,अल्पाइन वारीयर्स शीर्ष पर पहुंची

@ 29/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
TM GCL Day 7: Carlsen wins an exquisite endgame against Anand, powers his team to the top with Pragg

@ 28/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D6 : जीत के साथ मुंबा मास्टर्स तीसरे स्थान पर पहुंची

@ 28/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 6: Chingari Gulf Titans move up as Anand's win goes in vain

@ 27/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D5 : गंगाज ग्रांड मास्टर्स के तूफान में नहीं टिके कॉन्टिनेन्टल किंग्स

@ 27/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 5: Vintage Vishy strikes Aronian, Ganges Grandmasters score a gargantuan win

@ 26/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D4 : एसजी अल्पाइन वारीयर्स नें बनाई बढ़त

@ 26/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 4: SG Alpine Warriors survive Maxime carnage, Praggnanandhaa wins the decider

@ 25/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
GCL D3 : गंगाज ग्रांड मास्टर्स की लगातार तीसरी जीत

@ 25/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 3: Ganges Grandmasters remain invincible, Triveni Continental Kings climb up

@ 24/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
जीसीएल D1&2 : आनंद की गंगा ग्रांड मास्टर्स निकली सबसे आगे

@ 24/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 2: SG Alpine Warriors succumb to the sole leader Ganges Grandmasters

@ 23/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
Tech Mahindra GCL Day 1: Vishy Anand ensures a smooth sailing for Ganges Grandmasters

@ 22/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
शतरंज की तस्वीर बदलने आज से शुरू होगी ग्लोबल चैस लीग

@ 22/06/2023 by Niklesh Jain (hi)
The Broadcast details for Global Chess League 2023

@ 22/06/2023 by Sagar Shah (en)
Anand vs Anand squares off Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

@ 22/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
Schedule and Scoring System for Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

@ 17/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
Your chance to win a ticket to Dubai for the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League!

@ 15/06/2023 by Himank Ghosh (en)
Tech Mahindra Global Chess League teams and squads unveiled

@ 14/06/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
Band Stand Ka Raja wins the scenic GCL Invitational at Bandra Fort

@ 29/05/2023 by Sagar Shah (en)
FIDE and Tech Mahindra's Global Chess League to take place from 21st June to 2nd July 2023

@ 24/03/2023 by Shahid Ahmed (en)
A Tweet and the formation of the Global Chess League

@ 24/02/2021 by Sagar Shah (en)
टेक महिंद्रा कराएगा ग्लोबल चैस लीग – आनंद बने मेंटर 

@ 23/02/2021 by Niklesh Jain (hi)