Ganges Grandmasters raise the stakes at the player draft for the inaugural edition of the Global Chess League to be held in Dubai. Courtesy Tech Mahindra
The first Global Chess League player draft saw women’s top-ranked Grandmaster Hou Yifan become the star pick in a pool of 36 after the bidding process in Mumbai. The highly anticipated six-team tournament is scheduled to take place from June 21 to July 2 at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club, in association with the Dubai Sports Council.
A day after the owners of the six franchises were announced, the cream of world’s chess players – Yifan, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Ding Liren and others – were picked from a purse of 1,000 points for each team. A joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, the GCL has captured the attention of chess enthusiasts worldwide, and where each team have players across four categories: Icon, Superstars Men, Superstars Women, and Prodigy. The Icon players were selected based on a preferential draft system.
Magnus Carlsen, the five-time World Chess Champion and the top-ranked player in the world was selected by SG Alpine Warriors. A five-time World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, joined the Ganges Grandmasters. The current World Champion, Ding Liren was drafted by Triveni Continental Kings. Other notable selections included Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda by Chingari Gulf Titans and Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi by Balan Alaskan Knights. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave joined upGrad Mumba Masters as their Icon player.
Yifan attracted the highest points’ bid across men and women categories when Ganges Grandmasters picked her for 470 points. “I am looking forward to being on the same team as Viswanathan Anand and also to have the likes of Richárd Rapport, Leinier Domínguez, Bella Khotenashvili, and Andrey Esipenko on our team,” she said.
upGrad Mumba Masters picked up the Indian pair of Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli at 360 and 330 points, respectively. Praggnanandhaa R became the highest-bid player among the U21 Prodigy category, won by SG Alpine Warriors at 290 points. Andrey Esipenko went to Ganges Grandmasters in a lucky draw after receiving an equal point bid by Triveni Continental Kings, who got Jonas Buhl Bjerre eventually.
“From being on opposite sides of the table with most players to being on the same team, I am excited to meet my teammates and see how we can make the most of this experience and apply it to future competitions,” said Praggnanandhaa.
To ensure the smooth progress of the tournament, there are 3 chess players who have been chosen as reserve players who will be assigned to the particular team in case, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the current squad member/s cannot participate.
The six teams will engage in a double round-robin format, playing a total of 10 matches. The matches will be decided using a best-of-six board scoring system, played simultaneously, adding an extra layer of excitement to the tournament. The top two teams will advance to the final on July 2, where the coveted title of World Champion Franchise Team will be awarded.
TEAMS
(Icon, Superstar Men (2), Superstar Women (2), Prodigy):
Getting around Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) is about to become much easier. A new fully electric bus service, JLT Link, launches on August 1, offering residents and visitors a convenient way to travel across the neighbourhood for just Dh3 per ride.
Replacing the existing bus service, the new network is designed to make short trips around JLT quicker, cheaper and more sustainable.
How does JLT Link work?
The service operates a fleet of turquoise electric buses across two circular routes:
Route 1: Clusters A to N
Route 2: Clusters O to Z
There’s no need to book. Simply head to the nearest bus stop, scan the QR code to pay and hop on.
Metro connections and 18 stops
JLT Link connects directly with both DMCC Metro Station and Sobha Realty Metro Station, making it easier to continue your journey across Dubai.
The network serves 18 stops across JLT and Uptown Dubai, with buses arriving every 20 minutes.
Sustainable and accessible
The fully electric buses are part of DMCC’s wider sustainability strategy and feature:
Low-floor boarding
Wheelchair accessibility
Space for standing passengers
The launch complements other sustainability initiatives across JLT, including solar-powered infrastructure, Dubai Can refill stations and community recycling facilities.
UAE motorists could see petrol prices fall for a second consecutive month in August, although any reduction is expected to be modest as global oil markets remain volatile.
Experts are predicting lower crude oil prices during July will support another cut at the pump, but the ongoing geopolitical tensions and tight fuel inventories are likely to limit how much prices fall.
Based on current trends, experts estimate Special 95 could fall to around Dh3.13 per litre, while Super 98 could drop to about Dh3.24 per litre.
Oil markets continue to react to geopolitical developments, particularly tensions involving Iran and concerns over shipping routes in the Gulf.
However, prices are capable of moving up sharply if regional tensions escalate.
July fuel prices
Super 98: Dh3.40 per litre
Special 95: Dh3.29 per litre
E-Plus 91: Dh3.21 per litre
Diesel: Dh3.60 per litre
The UAE is expected to announce fuel prices for August this week, with many motorists hoping for another reduction to help ease the rising cost of living and daily commuting expenses.
The UAE is set for more unsettled summer weather over the coming days, with afternoon rain expected in parts of the country even as temperatures continue to climb above 40°C.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), convective clouds are forecast to develop daily from Friday through Monday, August 3, bringing a chance of showers, particularly over eastern and southern areas of the UAE.
Where is rain expected?
The highest chance of rainfall is expected across eastern and southern parts of the country, including areas around Fujairah, the east coast of Sharjah and parts of Abu Dhabi’s interior. Elsewhere, skies will remain fair to partly cloudy.
The weather is being driven by a surface low-pressure system extending from the east, supported by an upper-air low-pressure system that is creating favourable conditions for cloud formation.
Hot days, stormy afternoons
Despite the rain forecast, temperatures will remain high:
Inland: 43°C to 48°C
Coastal areas: 38°C to 44°C
Mountains: 30°C to 38°C
Winds will be light to moderate but could strengthen to 45km/h at times, especially around developing storm clouds, raising dust and reducing visibility in exposed areas.
Sea conditions are expected to remain slight in both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
Day-by-day forecast
Friday: Afternoon clouds over eastern and southern regions with a chance of rain. Winds up to 40km/h.
Saturday: Fair to partly cloudy with afternoon showers possible in the east and south.
Sunday: Similar conditions, with another chance of convective rain in eastern and southern areas.
Monday: Unsettled weather continues, with rain possible and stronger winds likely to kick up dust.
El Nino expected to strengthen
The wet spell comes as the NCM says there is a 98% probability of moderate El Nino conditions persisting between July and November 2026.
Looking ahead, the NCM expects both temperatures and rainfall across the UAE to remain near to above seasonal averages through the second half of the year.