The inaugural six-team Indian Chess League is set to start in June next year.
Announcing this here on Tuesday, All India Chess Federation president Sanjay Kapoor said the league would be played on a double round-robin format over two weeks, with the top two teams clashing for the title.
The cap for each team is set at ₹2 crore to pick an eight-member squad at the auction. Each team should comprise two elite Grandmasters, two Indian GMs, two Woman GMs and two Indian juniors — a boy and a girl. The minimum bid for the elite GMs is ₹30 lakh.
“The idea is to not only draw the best players from around the world but also provide India’s players a formidable platform to sharpen their skills,” said AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan.
Much will depend on the availability of players for the auction and the window available for the league to take place regularly. AICF has signed a deal with Gameplan Sports Private Limited, as the rights holder, to organise and market the league. At this stage, the modalities are yet to be worked out in detail.
