American Gambits Confirm Icon Player Hikaru Nakamura's Participation Ahead Of Global Chess League Season 3

The third season of the Global Chess League is here, and the American Gambits are all set for their second appearance in the tournament, scheduled to take place at Mumbai’s iconic Royal Opera House.

The franchise has confirmed that Hikaru Nakamura will arrive on Sunday morning and indeed lead the team as Icon player this season. Joining him are Superstar Women player Bibisara Assaubayeva, Superstar Men Richard Rapport and Vladislav Artemiev, Superstar Women Teodora Injac, and current World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin.

American Gambits will open their campaign against Alaskan Knights, led by reigning World Champion Gukesh D. The much-anticipated Nakamura vs Gukesh clash is set to be the highlight of the opening night.

Head Coach GM Srinath Narayanan added, “We can confirm Hikaru is coming, and the matchup between him and Gukesh is one everyone will be watching closely. They’ve had several exciting battles this year, usually very evenly fought. It will be one of the most anticipated duels of the season. I do feel we have a slight edge because Hikaru is more experienced in shorter time formats, but anything can happen on the day.”

The American Gambits will then face Mumbai Masters in their second match.

Speaking about the team’s preparation, Srinath said, “With the new season being hosted in India, we’re very excited. On paper, we are one of the strongest teams, with one of the highest average ratings. We have champions across the board, including the current World Rapid Champion Murzin. The squad looks solid and promising.”

American Gambits Squad

Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, Volodar Murzin.

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