New Delhi: Indian chess prodigy Pranesh M and Argentina’s Faustino Oro, nicknamed ‘Messi of Chess,’ are set to join the list of 12 Grandmasters and International Masters for the GCL Contenders 2025 Knockout Challengers Round. Both the players will face qualifiers from the earlier round for three ambassador spots at Global Chess League (GCL).
The GCL season 3 is a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE and is set to take place at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai from December 13 to 24. The event will bring together some of the sport’s greatest names under a single roof. The GCL would be conducted in collaboration with Chess.com which happens to be the league’s official platform partner.
GCL Contenders set to entertain fans
The GCL Contenders 2025 started with over 11500 players worldwide signing up across three categories – male, female, and U21 (prodigy). Post fierce battles in 18 rapid arenas, the top performers among the lot progressed to the GCL Opens and titles knockouts to reach the challengers stage which is now being joined by the Grandmasters and International Masters. In the next phase, 12 titled players ae set to compete against four online qualifiers across three divisions, with the winners joining the GCL main event as ambassadors.
Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, said, ‘GCL Contenders is designed to connect the entire chess ecosystem, from everyday players to professionals, on a single competitive platform. The arrival of Grandmasters and International Masters in this round reflects exactly that spirit. It’s a global, inclusive format that redefines what open competition can mean for the sport.’
In the men’s category, Grandmasters Jose Martinez (Mexico), Benjamin Bok (The Netherlands), Andrew Tang (USA), and Abhimanyu Puranik (India) will enter the draw, each set to face one of four qualifiers who advanced through the global Opens and Titled Knockouts: Diptayan Ghosh, Aradhya Garg, Alok Sinha, and Harshal Patel.
In the women’s section, IM Yuliia Osmak (Ukraine), IM Padmini Rout (India), and IM Mai Narva (Estonia) headline a strong field that also includes qualifiers Mitra Hejazipour (Iran), Rucha Pujari (India), Jesse February (South Africa), Oliwia Kiolbasa (Poland) and Angel Ruth (India), blending international experience and emerging regional talent to give this bracket a distinctly global look.
All matches in the Challengers Knockout will be played in rapid format on Chess.com and streamed on GCL’s official YouTube channel.