Mumbai, Mar 30 (IANS): The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Wednesday announced the launch dates and format of Global Chess League (GCL). The 12-day GCL will begin from June 21-July 2.

GCL will be played in ten round-robin matches, with six teams competing (six players in each team), followed by a final match between the top two teams.

GCL is the world's first and largest official franchise league of its kind, with chess players competing in a unique joint team format. GCL will feature male and female chess champions competing on the same team. The league's joint male-female teams will have the rare distinction of being the only joint team in a professional sports league.

FIDE and Tech Mahindra 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.

FIDE president, Arkady Dvorkovich, said, "We are very excited to announce the dates and format of this one-of-a-kind GCL with Tech Mahindra. As a partner, Tech Mahindra brings in its tech expertise to help scale and take the game to millions of fans. The league will help increase Chess's popularity while expanding commercial opportunities. As a part of FIDE's commitment to growing women's chess, this league will also witness the joint male and female team format, a first-of-its-kind in a professional sport. We invite team owners and sponsors to join in the effort to bring chess closer to its fans around the world. We are looking forward to meeting the teams and new talent in June 2023."

GCL will aim to bring sports fans together to witness chess in a never-seen-before avatar. The winning team will get crowned with the title of World Champion Franchise Team.

Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion and Indian chess legend, said, "Chess is a game that millions of people all over the world enjoy playing. We've seen a surge in new fan engagements since the pandemic, increasing the fan base. It is indeed a momentous occasion for the world of chess to stage a Global Chess League with players participating worldwide. I am confident that the league will bring a new perspective to chess and chess viewership. Looking forward to collaborating with FIDE and Tech Mahindra to make the 12-day GCL a huge success."