The 2nd edition of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL) starts from 3rd October, 2024 in London. Sameer Pathak, the CEO of GCL, shares his thoughts about why the league has all the potential to be one of the best in the world.
Dubai to London- GCL into its 2nd Edition
Sameer Pathak: The first edition of GCL was a massive learning for all of us. After Season One ended, we went on a listening tour. We went and spoke to fans, team owners, players, agency partners, and a bunch of people; trying to understand what can be done better.
Among those, some of the things we have brought into fruition this year. On the face of it, new players are joining us- Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri, and some other players are joining us. There’s a new team that has come up, American Gambits, which is a welcome addition. And also, from a point of view of how some of the time controls are going to work. We are going to begin matches in a staggered way so that the commentators get opportunities to work smoothly.
So, we have looked across all kinds of things and also have brought new elements for fan engagement that haven’t happened before in chess. So, yes we have introduced new things, obviously making it more fan-centric, based on the feedback that we have got.
Gaining Popularity
Sameer Pathak: Our idea is not just to reach out to the best of the ardent, hardcore chess fans, but our aim is to reach casual chess fans as well. Casual chess fans are those who know chess, who understand and appreciate chess but are not used to viewing or are not as deeply engaged. So, a Vishy vs Magnus match or a Magnus vs Nakamura match has that potential to draw all the usual chess fans. That’s a larger number, that’s in millions. This is where GCL strikes. It’s extremely fan-centric.
Presence of the Champions
Sameer Pathak: Magnus Carlsen was there in the first edition. Prag was also there, and Vishy Sir is always there as a rock-solid support. So, it is massive, it’s ‘the’ tournament on the chess calendar now. The fans can look forward to this second edition which has a whole new fresh format. I think we are on our way to establishing ourselves as one of the leading tournaments of the year.
Gender-equal tournament
Sameer Pathak: That is from Day 1. Men and women playing in the same team- actually not just in chess but across the world of sport- this is a unique thing. There are very few sports where men and women play in the same team having equal points. So, in that sense, it is a leading tournament that brings a sense of inclusivity and we are quite proud of that.
Black wins over the white
Sameer Pathak: That again is a game changer in our belief. The origin of this concept came from the idea of bringing casual fans together and talking in their language. These casual fans are used to watching cricket, watching football. So we wanted to borrow some materials from those sports that could bring their fans to watch chess.
In cricket, there is a ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ series. ‘Home’ series tend to be easier, ‘Away’ series tend to be more difficult. That is equal to ‘White’ and ‘Black’ in chess as ‘White’ is slightly easier than ‘Black’. So if you win with White, you get three points but if you win with Black you get four points because an ‘Away’ series is difficult.
And eventually, the team that wins the match gets three points, and if it’s a draw then it’s one point for each team. This is also borrowed from other sports like an English Premier League match.
Difference between GCL and A FIDE Tournament
Sameer Pathak: The biggest difference is it’s a franchised format. The team owners are a very integral part of the system. I think that brings in a whole new layer of complexity and excitement.
The other big part is that this is a televised tournament. We will be on major OTT and television networks around the world. Chess is not been geared for TV for the most part. This is the major attempt to bring chess to television.
And the third is we truly believe that we get a sense of team and camaraderie. In Season 1, the teams were knitted together-players helping each other during the league, trying to make their games better, and discussing the games closer.
What’s unique is just two days back the players were playing for their nations as teams. And 10 days from now, they will be part of different teams.
Playing individual games but for the team
Sameer Pathak: It’s a great question. Chess is not the first sport. It’s so in Tennis which has a very successful Davis Cup. The players all come together in Davis Cup. They play individual games but still play as a team. So is Gymnastics.
In chess the bonding happens because the players want the team to win. At the end of the day, they are all elite athletes, and anything less than a win dissatisfies them. They always want to see their team winning and that too on a global stage with millions of viewers watching.
The purpose of winning something bring people together. That’s what we saw in the 1st edition. Magnus started doing coaching sessions or sessions with his colleagues like Praggnanandhaa and others. He is a great player but taking an interest in his team and teammates shows that he is a true champion.
Partnering with FIDE
Sameer Pathak: FIDE is a very progressive and a positive organization. We are actually joint venture partners in GCL. Its not just an association, we work very closely on several aspects. FIDE is extremely supportive even in simple as things like wearing sneakers during matches. Generally in chess players have to wear formal shoes but in GCL they can wear sneakers. It’s a rule change but an important one because it gives an opportunity for a sneaker brand to sponsor chess. We found FIDE to be an amazing partner to work with.
Sponsorship and Clash of Interest
Sameer Pathak: Every team has a uniform but there is no clash with the individual sponsors. Like in other sports, here also when players are playing for a team, the individual sponsorship takes a backseat.
