Global Chess League Launches Contenders Programme Across Six Time Zones

The Global Chess League (GCL), a collaboration between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, has launched the GCL Contenders 2025 programme, a global multi-tiered tournament designed to discover and promote grassroots chess talent. Open to both amateurs and professionals, participants can register in male, female, and U-21 categories and must have an active chess.com account with at least 25 games played. The competition spans six time zones and includes rapid arena matches representing franchises, followed by knockout rounds where winners compete alongside grandmasters. Three winners from the Contenders programme will join the GCL Season 3, starting December 13, as league ambassadors, gaining the unique opportunity to compete on the same stage as elite Grandmasters. The initiative aims to strengthen the global chess community by connecting players worldwide and inspiring new generations of talent. GCL chairperson Peeyush Dubey and FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich have both expressed enthusiasm for this step as a landmark moment for chess's global growth and accessibility.