Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren to join new franchise-based chess league
Reigning world champion Ding Liren and top-ranked Magnus Carlsen will participate in next month’s inaugural franchise-based Global Chess League (GCL), organisers said on Tuesday.
The tournament will run from June 21 to July 2 in Dubai and feature six teams of six players each, including a minimum of two female players and an “icon” player per team.
Carlsen and Ding will join as two of six “icon” players, along with Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The final two names will be confirmed at a later date, organisers said.
“Global Chess League will be a great new event in over-the-board chess that has never been done before,” Carlsen, who has been the world’s top-ranked player for over a decade, said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a part of this unique mixed-team format.”
