New league tries to make chess a spectator sport
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A new team chess competition called the Global Chess League is underway in Dubai, with 36 of the world's top players competing in a two-week-long tournament.
Why it matters: Chess' popularity has exploded in recent years, but it still remains largely participatory. GCL, which brings the franchise format to chess, hopes to prove the game's viability as a spectator sport.
What they're saying: "If you have spelling bees and poker games and esports … why not something like chess, which has such wider coverage," Jagdish Mitra, chair of GCL's board, told WashPost.
- "We've got to make it simple [and] easier to follow," he added. "We've got to make it a television sport."
- One way to draw viewers? Star power. GCL has signed on world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, arguably the greatest chess player to ever live.
The backdrop: Carlsen relinquished his decade-long crown as world champion in April because he'd grown tired of the longer, classical format used in that event.
- GCL uses 15-minute speed rounds and a format "that hasn't really been done before," said Carlsen.
- That piqued his interest, and now GCL — a joint venture between an Indian IT company and chess' global governing body, FIDE — hopes it will pique yours.
How it works: GCL's inaugural tournament, which began last Thursday and ends this Sunday, features six teams in a double round-robin, with all matches streamed on DAZN.
- Each team comprises at least two women, one "prodigy" (under 21) and one "icon." Carlsen is an icon, alongside five other players in the world top 20.
- Matches feature six games played simultaneously in rapid format, with each player allotted just 15 minutes.
- The top two teams after the double round-robin will meet in Sunday's final, and the winning side takes home $1 million.
Where it stands: Carlsen's team, the SG Alpine Warriors, is tied for first with a match in hand, likely setting up a finals clash against the Ganges Grandmasters, led by world No. 9 Viswanathan Anand.
