GCL Season 4 Draft: Nihal Sarin sparks bidding war, Anand joins Erigaisi
Synopsis
Nihal Sarin’s Bullet Chess Championship title made him the most fought-over name at the GCL Season 4 draft in Mumbai — and his landing at FYERS American Gambits alongside 2026 Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov signals a serious title challenge. Meanwhile, Viswanathan Anand’s first-ever franchise switch, pairing him with Arjun Erigaisi, and Divya Deshmukh’s addition to Magnus Carlsen’s defending champions make Season 4 in Bengaluru the most star-studded edition yet.
Key Takeaways
Nihal Sarin , freshly crowned Bullet Chess Champion and Season 2 MVP , sparked the draft’s biggest bidding war before joining FYERS American Gambits .
Viswanathan Anand switched franchises for the first time in GCL history, teaming up with Arjun Erigaisi at PBG Alaskan Knights .
Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers retained Magnus Carlsen and added Women’s Chess World Cup 2025 winner Divya Deshmukh .
Ganges Grandmasters brought back Levon Aronian after a two-season absence, pairing him with Ian Nepomniachtchi .
GCL Season 4 will be held in Bengaluru from 3 to 13 September , the league’s fourth consecutive India-linked edition.
The league is a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE , featuring six franchises in a rapid-chess team format with equal roles for men, women, and prodigies.
Nihal Sarin, the newly-crowned Bullet Chess Champion and Season 2 MVP, triggered one of the most competitive bidding battles at the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 4 player draft held in Mumbai on Monday, 29 June, before being secured by FYERS American Gambits. The league, a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, confirmed that Season 4 will be staged in Bengaluru from 3 to 13 September.
Key Draft Moves
The headline transfer of the draft saw five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand switch franchises for the first time in GCL history, joining PBG Alaskan Knights alongside retained star Arjun Erigaisi. Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers reinforced their title defence by retaining six-time World Rapid Champion Magnus Carlsen and Season 3 Finals MVP Anish Giri, then adding Women's Chess World Cup 2025 winner Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, Vidit Gujrathi, and reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin.
Ganges Grandmasters secured Ian Nepomniachtchi in the Icons round before aggressively pursuing former World Cup winner Levon Aronian, bringing him back to the league after a two-season absence. The franchise completed its squad with Polina Shuvalova, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Leinier Dominguez, and Indian prodigy Leon Luke Mendonca.
Sarin and the American Gambits
Sarin's arrival at FYERS American Gambits was the draft's most-contested moment. The Kerala-born grandmaster became the first Indian to win the Bullet Chess Championship, making him among the most coveted names in the room. He joins a young core that includes 2026 Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov, Daniil Dubov, Sara Khadem, Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Marc'Andria Maurizzi.
Co-owner Prachura PP said: “We’re quite happy with our team composition. It’s an exciting team, a young team. Season 4 with this team is going to be special; for us, Bengaluru is our city, you can expect a lot of fans, and we’re going to show the others that we are the ‘home’ team.”
Anand and Erigaisi: Two Eras of Indian Chess
The pairing of Anand and Erigaisi at PBG Alaskan Knights drew significant attention. Anand's move marks the first time the legendary champion has changed franchises since the league's inception. The squad also features Turkish debutant Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Nino Batsiashvili.
Team owner Punit Balan said: “Having Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi in our team gives us representatives of two eras of Indian chess greatness, the foundation and the future. That balance makes this squad exciting.”
Other Franchises and Squad Compositions
Last year’s runners-up Triveni Continental Kings retained Season 3 MVP Alireza Firouzja, Wei Yi, and Zhu Jiner, adding Alexandra Kosteniuk and Indian duo Aravindh Chithambaram and Pranav Venkatesh. upGrad Mumba Masters kept continuity by retaining Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, and Harika Dronavalli, then adding Carissa Yip and Bardiya Daneshvar.
GCL Commissioner Gourav Rakshit said at the draft: “What began as an ambitious vision to reimagine chess as a modern global sports and entertainment property has, over the last three seasons, evolved into one of the marquee events on the international chess calendar.”
Format and What to Expect in Bengaluru
Season 4 runs over 11 days in a round-robin group phase where each of the six franchises plays the others twice, with the top two advancing to the Grand Finale. Each team fields six players across four categories: one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy — a format that places men, women, and prodigies on equal footing. Built around rapid chess, the structure is designed to sustain momentum swings and fan engagement deep into the final boards. Following three seasons across Dubai, London, and Mumbai, Bengaluru represents the league’s continued commitment to India as the birthplace of chess and one of the sport’s fastest-growing markets.
Point of View
Anand has never moved; that he now anchors PBG Alaskan Knights alongside Arjun Erigaisi, the most dangerous active Indian player, suggests the franchise is making a serious title run rather than a legacy booking. Meanwhile, Alpine APL Pipers adding Divya Deshmukh to a squad already built around Carlsen raises the question of whether any other team can match that star density. The real competitive interest may lie with Ganges Grandmasters, whose Nepomniachtchi-Aronian pairing is the most experienced Icons combination in the field — and one that has been underestimated in pre-season coverage.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is GCL Season 4 being held?
GCL Season 4 is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from 3 to 13 September . The player draft took place in Mumbai on 29 June .
Which team did Nihal Sarin join in GCL Season 4?
Nihal Sarin joined FYERS American Gambits after triggering the draft’s most competitive bidding war. The newly-crowned Bullet Chess Champion is the first Indian to win that title and was one of the most sought-after names at the auction.
Why is Viswanathan Anand’s move to PBG Alaskan Knights significant?
It marks the first time in GCL history that Viswanathan Anand has switched franchises. He now partners with Arjun Erigaisi at PBG Alaskan Knights , uniting what team owner Punit Balan described as ‘two eras of Indian chess greatness.’
Which team is Divya Deshmukh playing for in GCL Season 4?
Divya Deshmukh , winner of the Women’s Chess World Cup 2025 , joined defending champions Alpine APL Pipers , the team anchored by Magnus Carlsen . She is part of what is considered one of the strongest squads in the field.
What is the format of the Global Chess League?
The GCL is a six-franchise rapid-chess team league where each team fields six players across four categories: one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy. Teams play a round-robin group phase — facing each opponent twice — with the top two advancing to the Grand Finale.
