Anish Giri found a crucial turning point in his chess career during the Global Chess League (GCL) last year, overcoming
a dip in form and confidence. He shares humorous anecdotes about team bonding, food preferences, and even a playful
"iPhone mutiny." Giri sees the upcoming GCL season as a vital warm-up for the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
Anish Giri at the Global Chess League (GCL Photo)
NEW DELHI: Coming into the second edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) last year in October, the current Dutch No. 1
Anish Giri had a turbulent time. In the span of one month, his ratings dropped drastically from 2746 to 2724. To put
things into perspective, the last time his rating had dipped this low was all the way back in December 2012, when he
briefly touched 2720. This time, though, the slide hurt more: for the first time in ten years, Giri had tumbled out of
Anish Giri Exclusive: FIDE World Cup in Goa, Candidates 2026 prep, GCL stories, and more
The drop demanded a turnaround. Oddly enough, it arrived not in the old-school halls of classical chess but in a
fledgling event trying to plant its flag: the Global Chess League (GCL). “I came in with really low confidence,” Giri
told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive chat. “And then I saw the lineup; I was on the icon board, facing the absolute
best. My team was super strong, and I felt like the weakest link at that moment. I genuinely worried I’d pull them down.
GCL ended up being one of the big turning points for me.”
Giri can't keep his laughter away when asked about the memories that immediately spring up. Not the time scramble
against Alireza Firouzja. Not the nail-biting final. But… food. “One thing that now comes to mind was with the food,” he
revealed. “Because sometimes you would play during the day, and it was like lunchtime. We would go to the game and stay
there for many hours, and we could get hungry there. So we would get some food arranged for us. “It was always a
challenge to try to get a good level of spice. There were always these arguments between the team members. Some are
saying this is not spicy. Some are saying this is crazy spicy. Some are saying I’m dying from how hot it is.” With the
second edition of GCL held in London, traffic became part of the routine, too. “It was kind of an interesting
experience,” he said. “Just overall with the team, how we would travel through London to the playing hall and the
traffic of London. Sometimes you get stuck in there, and it was good vibes.”
The Great iPhone Revolt (almost)
Among all the stories, one that stands out as instant GCL folklore is the attempted “iPhone mutiny”. Before the season
even began, PBG Alaskan Knights, Giri's previous team, had promised performance-based rewards. But before they were
handed out, the players began joking in the team WhatsApp group. “There was a running joke between the team members
behind the back of our team captain that we are going to refuse to show up if we don’t get the iPhone promised,” Giri
remembered. “So we had this thing that we’re going to revolt as players. And if they don’t give us the iPhone, we are
not coming to the game." Despite the Knights settling for a runners-up finish, the gifts did arrive. “Of course, it was
a joke. But we finally did get the iPhones. So I don’t know how much of a joke it was,” Giri added with a grin.
The quiet side of elite chess players
One stereotype about chess players has existed for generations: they live in their heads. They don’t talk much. Giri
doesn't deny it. “It depends on players and depends on the setting,” the 31-year-old Grandmaster told this website.
“Different tournaments, different moods, different stages of career. I knew some players that at certain periods, we
were very friendly with each other, then for some reason, we were less friendly for a period. It is complex in that
sense.” Team spirit is something footballers or basketball players are raised with; chess players, on the other hand,
spend most of their lives fighting alone at a board. “In chess, team events are occasionally there, and usually most
events are individual," he explained. "So you are not really taught team spirit or team bonding. In chess, it’s not
common. And occasionally in a team event, you do miss the whole team bonding.” Giri cited Nodirbek Abdusattorov as an
example from last season’s GCL. “He has his own very strict routine: when he eats, what he eats, where he eats. I think
we almost never ate together, like never on the same table, as far as I can remember. And that’s fine. He stays in that
tournament mode, in that zone,” he added.
One of the funniest observations Giri made is about players who have “modes”, different personas depending on whether
they are playing a tournament or attending, say, a friend’s wedding. And the best example, according to him, is the
current World Chess Champion D Gukesh. “Gukesh was not in my team (in the last GCL), but I’ve been with him on many
different occasions,” he said. "During tournaments, after tournaments, I was with him at Vidit’s wedding as well." “And
it’s like different people every time. When Gukesh is at Vidit’s wedding, he is a different person than when he is
playing the second round of Wijk aan Zee.” He laughed before adding, “Some people have this very, very strong game
mode." Giri’s success on the board during GCL 2024, though, wasn’t a coincidence. After months of self-doubt and
worrying about his form, the league seemed to snap him out of the spiral. His rise back into the world’s top 10 and the
qualification for Candidates 2026 with an authoritative win at the FIDE Grand Swiss has reaffirmed him as one of the
most consistent elite players currently. Now, fast forward to season three of GCL, scheduled to begin at The Royal Opera
House from December 14 to 23. The Dutch No. 1 will turn up wearing the Alpine SG Pipers jersey this time, but his goals
remain the same. With the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships beginning right after GCL in Doha, he sees the league
as the perfect warm-up. “I’ve been focusing fully on classical the last few tournaments,” he said. “There’s going to be
some change in pace, so I will need to warm up. I am expecting maybe a turbulent start in GCL, but I’m gonna try to warm
up for the rapid and blitz again.” “After GCL, there will be World Rapid and Blitz in Doha as well. So now I have two
events in a row, which are rapid and blitz. That’s a shift in mindset and requires a little different type of play,” he