Divya Deshmukh to debut, Magnus Carlsen set for return in Global Chess League Season 4

Mumbai: Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will make a comeback to Global Chess League after a year's absence while FIDE Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh will make her debut in the event during the fourth edition.

The draft for the fourth season will be held here on June 29 while the tournament will be organised in Bengaluru from September 3 to 13, the organisers said on Saturday.

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"The Season 4 player pool features 36 Grandmasters across generations, including World Champions, World Cup winners, Olympiad medallists and leading names from the global chess circuit," the organisers said.

"With a mix of retained stars and players entering the draft, franchises will have a wide field to shape balanced six-player squads across categories."

The teams will assemble squads up to six players across four categories in the draft, including one icon, two superstar men, two superstar women and one prodigy. The league will continue to have a six-board rapid format.

The draft list includes five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, 2025 FIDE World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov, Women's World Rapid Champion Koneru Humpy, former Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi and former World Cup champion and Olympiad gold medallist Levon Aronian.

The reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin and Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca will also be in the draft.