Chess has fascinated me for a long time: Spanish football great Pique

BENGALURU: (Aug 18) World Cup-winning Spanish footballer Gerard Pique has revealed that he has long been fascinated by chess and said the ambition to take the sport to a new level was one of the key reasons he joined Global Chess League franchise American Gambits as a strategic shareholder.

The fourth edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) will be held from September 3 to 13, with six franchise teams featuring some of the world’s leading grandmasters and champions competing in a rapid, mixed-gender format.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always been interested in projects that rethink how sport connects with fans. Chess has fascinated me for a long time because of its depth, its global appeal and the incredible mental strength it demands,” said Pique, the 39-year-old former Barcelona stalwart widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation, who played a key role in Spain’s 2010 World Cup triumph.