R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh (PTI Photo)

World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh and fellow Indian player Arjun Erigaisi joined forces as teammates during the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 player draft in Mumbai on Friday. The PBG Alaskan Knights acquired both Indian talents.American GM Wesley So sparked intense bidding before joining Mumba Masters, as teams finalised their rosters. The league will take place at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, 2025. The GCL’s third season marks its first appearance in India, following successful events in Dubai (2023) and London (2024). India holds significance as the birthplace of chess and the league concept.The Icon Round began with Alpine SG Pipers selecting Fabiano Caruana. PBG Alaskan Knights secured Gukesh, while Viswanathan Anand stayed with Ganges Grandmasters.Mumba Masters won a competitive bidding war against American Gambits and PBG Alaskan Knights to acquire Wesley So. Ganges Grandmasters added 20-year-old German Vincent Keymer to their roster.A three-way competition for Erigaisi concluded with PBG Alaskan Knights emerging victorious, uniting him with Gukesh.“We had a big task because we had to pick all six players, and we are happy that we got World Champion Gukesh, along with a balanced team in the end. They (Gukesh & Arjun) will be more than happy to satisfy the fans with their performance. It’s happening in India, and it will definitely bring more cheer to our team,” said PBG Alaskan Knights’ coach Abhijit Kunte.Four teams retained key players before the draft. Alpine SG Pipers kept Hou Yifan and R Praggnanandhaa, while American Gambits secured Hikaru Nakamura and Bibisara Assaubayeva.Triveni Continental Kings retained Alireza Firouzja, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Wei Yi. Mumba Masters kept Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.“There are a lot of dynamics and uncertainty (in a draft), it’s like playing chess on a much bigger board. Also, I am really happy and pleased that the tournament is coming to India, which I believe is the most happening country in the world when it comes to chess. We are happy with our picks,” said American Gambits’ head coach Shrinath Narayanan.The Superstar Women round saw Triveni Continental Kings acquire Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Jiner after intense bidding. PBG Alaskan Knights added Kateryna Lagno to their roster.The final round featured young talents, with Ganges signing Raunak Sadhwani and American Gambits acquiring Volodar Murzin. PBG Alaskan Knights recruited Daniel Dardha, while Alpine SG Pipers added Leon Mendonca.“We looked for consistency, we thought it was better to have more balanced players, and the focus was to get players who would do well overall. We have a very good team, Fabiano Caruana is fantastic, Pragg has been doing consistently well, and Hou Yifan is the best female player in the world,” said Alpine SG Pipers’ head coach Pravin Thipsay.“The main thing we wanted was a young team–and we succeeded in that, excluding Vishy! I am very happy with what we have picked. It’s a team event and every player is important,” said Ganges Grandmasters’ head coach Vishnu Prasad.The six-team franchise league will feature a double-round-robin format over 12 days. Each team will play ten matches using a best-of-six board system.GCL Contenders 2025, a new international initiative, will provide aspiring players direct access to the GCL Draft. Three winners from six time zones will have the opportunity to compete with Grandmasters.The tournament is set to take place at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, 2025.

GCL Season 3 Squads: