NEW DELHI: The highlight of the player draft was the selection of Indian Grandmasters Vaishali Rameshbabu and Nihal Sarin in advance of the Global Chess League 2024, which will have its second season in London from October 3-12.
During the Sunday draft in New Delhi, Vaishali was selected by Ganges Grandmasters in the Superstar Women 1 division, while 20-year-old Sarin was selected by Alaskan Knights in the Prodigy division, as per PTI.
Vaishali will play in the Ganges lineup alongside the illustrious Viswanathan Anand, while Sarin will be paired with players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the Knights.
"For someone my age, coming up the ranks in this sport, I am super thrilled to be part of the Global Chess League Season 2. I am looking forward to learn from the stalwarts playing in this season and I am happy to be part of Alaskan Knights this season," said Sarin after the draft.
Mumba Masters managed to hold onto Grandmasters Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli in the interim.
The teams have already named their icon players and they are: Magnus Carlsen (Alpine SG Pipers), Anand (Ganges Grandmasters), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Mumba Masters), Ian Nepomniachtchi (Triveni Continental Kings), and debutants Hikaru Nakamura (American Gambits) and Anish Giri (Alaskan Knights).
