Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, has announced the launch of GCL Contenders 2025, an initiative designed to democratize access to professional chess.
GCL Contenders will officially debut with Season 3 of the Global Chess League, beginning December 13, 2025.
The programme offers aspiring players across the world a direct pathway to compete alongside international Grandmasters in the world’s only franchise-based chess league.
The two-month global tournament, developed in partnership with Chess.com, will identify three winners who will enter Season 3 of GCL as league ambassadors, securing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step into the spotlight with some of the sport’s biggest icons.
Designed as a multi-tiered tournament, GCL Contenders 2025 will unite players across six time zones from India to the USA, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia, further strengthening the league’s positioning as the world’s most innovative chess ecosystem. The initiative not only elevates grassroots participation but also creates a new digital-first format for fan engagement.
Peeyush Dubey, Chairperson, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, said, “Since its inception, GCL has been at the forefront of redefining the game. With GCL 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.”
Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, said, “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 of the GCL.”
Danny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com, said, “The first two seasons of the GCL 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.”
