Global Chess League’s ‘GCL Contenders’ will let you play alongside grandmasters; here’s how to join

The path to glory: How GCL Contenders works

To enter GCL Contenders 2025, players must register on the official GCL portal and compete in one of the three categories – Male, Female, and U21.

The journey begins with the GCL Opens, where participants (with an active Chess.com account and at least 25 games played) are placed into arenas representing the six franchises: Alpine SG Pipers, American Gambits, Ganges Grandmasters, PBG Alaskan Knights, Triveni Continental Kings, and upGrad Mumba Masters.

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   GCL Contenders simplified

   GCL Opens: Register on the official portal and play in one of the six rapid arenas, each one linked to a GCL franchise. Every game in this stage will be played in 5+0 time control

   Titled Knockouts: The top two from each arena, plus four invited players (guest players), move on to live-streamed matches. This round will be played in Single Elimination Knockout format with 10+0 time control. Each battle will be best of three games. First to score 1.5 wins. There will be Armageddon Tiebreaker.

   Challenger's KO: Four winners from the Titled Knockouts will be joined by four GMs/IMs in the final stage. This round will be played in Single Elimination KO format with 10+0 time control. These will be Best of Three games. First to score 1.5 wins.

   The Prize: The top three winners will become GCL Season 3 ambassadors.

The top two from each arena qualify, and together with four invited players chosen for their chess merit, community impact, or fan appeal, form a pool of 16 contenders.

These 16 then advance to the Titled Knockouts, facing each other in live-streamed matches across YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms, including their social handles. From there, four winners move into the Challengers Knock Out, joined by four additional GMs/Ims. Thereafter, the top three winners, one from each category—Male, Female, and U21 (Prodigy)—post the Challenger’s knockout (KO), secure a coveted spot as the Season 3 ambassadors.

All participants must meet eligibility norms and adhere to fair play protocols, including camera monitoring and anti-cheating measures.

All participants must have an active chess.com account and have played at least 25 games under this ID. They must also meet category-specific age eligibility requirements and adhere to fair play protocols, including camera monitoring and anti-cheating measures.

“Since its inception, the league has been at the forefront of redefining the game. With the Contenders, we are taking this vision further by opening the stage to aspiring players worldwide, allowing them to potentially compete alongside the world’s greatest Grandmasters. This is more than a tournament, it is a landmark step for the global chess community, one that will inspire players and fans across generations and geographies,” Peeyush Dubey, Chairperson, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, said.

FIDE chief reacts to new GCL Contenders

“The Global Chess League is an innovative concept that brought new ideas to chess and engaged new audiences. We are excited to see this continue with the new Contenders programme, which will bring together professional and non-professional players in competition to become the ambassadors of the third season,” Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, said.

Meanwhile, Danny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com, said, “The first two seasons demonstrated the mass appeal of team-based chess, something we have always believed in. Now with the launch of GCL Contenders, we’re excited about a deeper and more expansive competitive ecosystem. And there is no better country than India for Season 3 of the GCL, a place that lives and breathes chess.”