GLOBAL CHESS LEAGUE (GCL), a joint initiative between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, has opened ticket sales for its third season while simultaneously turning Mumbai into a living, breathing chessboard. Ahead of the league’s takeover of the Royal Opera House from 13 to 24 December, a fleet of purple-and-white GCL-branded cabs has begun circulating through the city.
As part of the rollout, GCL has partnered with District as its official ticketing platform, offering fans a seamless way to book their seats for every match of the season.
What began with GCL-themed cars arriving at the Royal Opera House, trophy in tow, will soon expand to more than 1,000 cabs, buses and auto-rickshaws across Mumbai, each wrapped in the league’s colours throughout the tournament window.
The Royal Opera House provided a fitting backdrop for the official flag-off, reflective of a tournament that mixes chess with the energy and spectacle of a team-based format. The fleet marks the arrival of an exceptional line-up featuring World Champion Gukesh D, icon Viswanathan Anand, and rising stars R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi, alongside global greats such as Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Hou Yifan, Zhu Jiner and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Spectators can select from a range of experiences from premium lower-stall seats close to the action, to balcony views offering a full-stage perspective, or the grand circle’s sweeping vantage point. Tickets start at Rs 499, with premium categories beginning at Rs 1,299.
GCL commissioner Gourav Rakshit said, “This season, Mumbai itself becomes the seventh participant of the Global Chess League. Every purple-and-white cab on the road is a reminder that the city has become the board, the fans are the energy behind it, and every ticket purchased is a square claimed. Our partnership with District brings fans closer to the experience than ever before.”
