"Global Chess League will be a very special event for me," says Vaishali R as she prepares to play alongside legendary Viswanathan Anand in the second season

Vaishali R, who earned the Grandmaster (GM) title in December 2023, is set to make her debut in the second season of the Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE.

The 23-year-old Grandmaster was among the top picks at the Global Chess League player draft held in August. Expressing excitement about making her debut at the Global Chess League, Vaishali said, "I was thrilled to follow the first season; it was so much fun. I'm very excited to play in the Global Chess League this year, and I want to give my best to my team."

Speaking about playing alongside the legendary Viswanathan Anand for Ganges Grandmasters and against her brother Praggnanandhaa R's team, Alpine SG Pipers, Vaishali said, "This will be a very special event for me to play alongside Vishy sir in the same team. It is a wonderful opportunity for me. My brother Pragg is on Magnus Carlen's team, which is great as well. Of course, we won't compete against each other, but our teams are different."

"It is a very interesting and unique format, which we never had in chess events before. To have many strong players in one team, we get to discuss a lot about the game and share ideas. It will definitely help players improve individually," she added while discussing the unique team format.

The league's second edition will take place in London from 3rd to 12th October at Friends House, and Vaishali has already planned her off-the-board adventures in the city.

"The last time I visited London was five years ago. Back then, I missed going to the London Eye ride, so it’s the best opportunity for me to visit this time," she signed off.

In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.

About Tech Mahindra Global Chess League

The Global Chess League is the world's first and largest official franchise league of its kind, with chess players from all over the world competing in a unique joint team format. It is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group, and FIDE. The league will feature male and female chess champions competing in the same team. Playing on the popular rapid format, the league's joint male-female teams will have the rare distinction of being a unique multiplayer team in the world of professional sports. In addition, the league is a one-of-its-kind live televised chess event offering fans a unique viewing experience. Tech Mahindra and FIDE will explore innovative ways to promote the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms by leveraging next-generation technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others.

For more information on Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, please visit: https://globalchessleague.com/