BD NarayankarBengaluru, Sept. 15 -- If the fourth season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League was meant to test whether chess could be presented as a mainstream spectator sport, its Bengaluru chapter offered a compelling answer.
Over nine days of competition, the GCL delivered what traditional chess tournaments often struggle to create - team rivalries, sporting narratives, star power, spectator interest and a final that went down to the wire.
The strongest endorsement came from former women's world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, who has featured in all four editions of the league and described the Bengaluru season as one of the best organised.
"It feels much more like a major sporting event than a traditional chess tournament," Koste...