With less than a month left before the second season of the Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, legendary Indian Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand expressed his excitement for the upcoming tournament. The competition will take place between October 3rd and October 12th in London, and the five-time World Champion opened up on his reasons for returning to the tournament this year.

“I remember clearly how much fun the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League was last year in Dubai, and I am very excited about the second season. Most of the world’s best players took part in the initial edition. Notably, one player whose presence everyone is looking forward to has also joined this year – Hikaru Nakamura,” Anand said.

Anand will continue in his role as the Icon Player for the Ganges Grandmasters this season. He will compete against Magnus Carlsen (Alpine SG Pipers), Hikaru Nakamura (American Gambits), Anish Giri (PBG Alaskan Knights), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (upGrad Mumba Masters), and Ian Nepomniachtchi (Triveni Continental Kings).

“The teams have had a chance to rejig their compositions. They have learned from the past season and have strengthened themselves. I think the second season will be even better as the level of competition is absolutely elite,” he added.

In its first season, the Global Chess League revolutionized the sport with its unique team format. The first-of-its-kind franchise-based league features a total of six teams consisting of six players in each team – one Icon player, two superstar male players, two superstar female players, and one prodigy in each team. Anand explained how the format helps the players perform better.

“Chess is an individual game. However, when you play for a team, you have an added responsibility, as your performance can directly or indirectly impact your team members’ results. So, everyone is motivated to do well. On top of that, when all the team members get along well, and the team atmosphere is good, players can be inspired to produce their best performances,” the 54-year-old said.

The two-time Chess World Cup winner further elaborated on why the first season captured the imaginations of the global chess community. He further said that the Global Chess League is helping to increase the sports’ fan base. “The inaugural season received a remarkable response from fans because it was a fan-centric and spectator experience-centric event. Everything, from the visual effects to the commentary to the format to the scoring, was developed to make it exciting for the spectators. Hence, the tournament is a very good opportunity to draw in many new fans.”

Addressing his targets for the season, Anand said that he wishes to help Ganges Grandmasters win the title. Apart from him, the franchise has changed their squad, roping in Arjun Erigaisi and Parham Maghsoodloo as Superstar men players and Vaishali R and Nurgyul Salimova as Superstar women players for the season. Volodar Murzin has been brought in as the Prodigy player.

“As a team, the Ganges Grandmasters did well in the last edition, but we could not qualify. It shows the unpredictable nature of the league’s scoring system and format. We will try to do much better this time. As a player, my goals align with the same, and I want to help our team reach the final and win the trophy.”

Anand further expressed his eagerness to compete in London, explaining why the city is a fitting destination for the second season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. “London has always played a very important role in the history of chess, right from the Great International Chess Tournaments of 1851 to today, it has been the host for countless world’s best tournaments. I think it’s a very fitting venue, and many fans worldwide will be tempted to come and enjoy the event. I am looking forward to playing in London again. It’s a great city,” he signed off.

Preparations for the second season of Zim Afro T10 are well and truly on. The franchises have got their squads in place and the Harare Sports Club is all set for the tournament which begins on September 21 and will finish with the grand finale on 29 September.

Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 will see the teams battle it out over the course of 9 days for the top prize. Each day will comprise three games, with the first scheduled for 3pm local time and 630pm IST. The second game of the day will be at 515pm local time and 845pm IST, while the third game of the day will see the players take the field at 730pm local time and 11pm IST.

A glittering opening ceremony is also scheduled for the opening day, and that is set to commence from 1pm local time. On September 29, after the final, which is scheduled to begin at 530pm local time, there will be a grand closing ceremony to round off the tournament.

The opening game of the tournament will see the Durban Wolves take on the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, after which, Cape Town Samp Army and the Harare Bolts will take centre stage. The final game for the day will pit the two remaining franchises, Bulawayo Brave Jaguars and the NYS Lagos.

The second match-day will see the Durban Wolves take on the Harare Bolts in the first game, after which NYS Lagos and Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers will play the second game. The final game of the day will pit the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars against Cape Town Samp Army.
Day 3 will kick off with Harare Bolts playing Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, followed by the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking on Durban Wolves. The final game of the day will see Cape Town Samp Army play NYS Lagos.

NYS Lagos and Durban Wolves will commence the fourth day’s activities, with Harare Bolts and Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking over the baton after that, and finally handing it over to Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers and Cape Town Samp Army for the final game of the day on the fourth day.

The Harare Bolts and the NYS Lagos will commence Day 5, before Durban Wolves and Cape Town Samp Army play the second game of the day. The final game of the day will see Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers play the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars.

The penultimate day of the league stage will kick off with Durban Wolves playing the Harare Bolts first, and then Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers take on Bulawayo Brave Jaguars, before Cape Town Samp Army and NYS Lagos play the third game of the day.

The final day of the league phase will see Bulawayo Brave Jaguars play Cape Town Samp Army first, and then NYS Lagos takes on Durban Wolves. The final league stage game will be between Harare Bolts and the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers.

A total of 21 games will be played in the league stage for the Zim Afro T10, and after that the knockout phase will commence. The top 2 teams will square off in Qualifier 1, with the winner going through to the final. The third and fourth placed teams will then play the Eliminator, where the winner goes through to Qualifier 2, to face the runner-up of Qualifier 1. The team that wins Qualifier 2 will eventually play the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final.

Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman, said, “Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 is definitely going to be bigger and better. The players and teams are all preparing very hard for the tournament, and it promises to be nothing less than a celebration of the sport. Each day has the potential for some great contests, and we hope the fans will also enjoy watching their favourite players go head-to-head.”

The UAE will host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the first global women’s cricket event to be held in the region.

Organised in partnership with Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) and Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the 18-day event will take place in the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah from 3rd to 20th October 2024.

Details of the tournament was announced during a press conference held today at the Dubai Sports Council in the presence of ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice, ECB Board Member Zaid Abbas and Khaled Al Awar, Director of Communications and Marketing at Dubai Sports Council.

“One of the exciting things about the UAE is its diversity. It’s a place where the entire world is represented! This means that this is effectively a home World Cup for all 10 teams and players can enjoy the support of passionate fans. With that in mind, I’m delighted to announce today that tickets will be available from just AED5 and under 18s will go free,” Allardice said.

“The Emirates Cricket Board is delighted to stage the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. The Emirates Cricket Board has rich experience and the proven pedigree of hosting top-class cricket, and we are once again ready to deliver another world-class event,” Abbas said.

10 teams from different continents of the world are competing in 23 matches in the tournament: Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, England, South Africa, India, Pakistan, the West Indies, and Bangladesh.

“The tournament will see the best women cricketers from around the world compete for the biggest prize in the T20 format. We are set to witness thrilling contests and brilliant individual and team performances in Dubai and Sharjah during the course of the event.

“The ECB would work closely with all stakeholders including the International Cricket Council and the Bangladesh Cricket Board to ensure that the participants and fans have a memorable time during their stay in the country.”

The 10-team tournament will see a champion team emerge after 23 matches spread across the 18 days.

The 20 league matches will be split between Dubai and Sharjah with the semifinals slated for 17th October in Dubai and 18th October in Sharjah. The final will be played in Dubai.

Group A includes six-time champions Australia, along with India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, and Scotland.