Promising to bring his flamboyance and fearlessness to the game of chess, star India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin says his team American Gambits - the latest entrants in the Global Chess League (GCL) - will show to the world how to play boldly as he digitally launched the team’s anthem - "Make The World Go".
Ashwin co-owns the team led by world number two Grand Master Hikaru Nakamura.
The anthem has been composed by acclaimed music director Charan Raj and sung by Karthik Chennojirao (KC) of Pineapple Express. The song symbolises the team's unity, intensity, and strategic depth as they aim to conquer the global chess stage, which Ravichandran Ashwin released on his social media.
With a theme to conquer the game, the American Gambits, co-owned by entrepreneur Prachura PP and Venkat K Narayana, former CEO of Prestige Group, along with Ashwin, are a team of passionate entrepreneurs who have come together to create a global fandom for the game of chess.
Ashwin shared his excitement while launching the team anthem, “For us, chess is all about bringing out the best on the board—driven by passion, ridden by strategic bent of mind and perfectly playing the role of a gambit we as a team want to popularize and promote chess in India and globally. The anthem encapsulates that spirit of fearlessness and ultimate triumph. We are excited and waiting to show the world how we will play boldly.”
American Gambits has brought together a lineup of proven champions and emerging talents.
Prachura highlighted the anthem’s deep connection to the team's mission: “Much like the game of chess, the anthem of American Gambits embodies the essence of balance, strategy, risk, sacrifice, and mastery, all converging toward a single goal: victory.
“It represents how we play the game and make sacrifices and unite as a team to achieve the ultimate goal.”
Nakamura had recently stood 3rd at the Speed Chess Championship. The team is full of proven champions and rising talents. Jan-Krzysztof Duda, a fierce competitor with significant recent wins, adds a dynamic, and aggressive style to the side.
Vladislav Artemiev, known for his quiet but calculated play, perfectly matches the strategic bent that the team possess; Bibisara Assaubayeva, the reigning women’s world rapid champion, brings a winners’ mentality with her ability to outmanoeuvre opponents quickly and efficiently; Elisabeth Paehtz is the team’s most experienced player, adding a layer of seasonality to the group.
The team’s young prodigy Jonas Buhl Bjerre, stands for unwavering focus and unity. Lending the team his vast expertise from the sidelines is Dronacharya Awardee and R Praggnananadha and Vaishali’s coach RB Ramesh.
Nakamura, the team's icon player, noted: “Chess is not just about moving pieces on a board—it’s about precision, timing, and the ability to remain fearless in the face of overwhelming odds. This season, we’re ready to push boundaries and make bold sacrifices to claim victory. The anthem represents everything we stand for.”
With broadcasts on JioCinema, Eurosport, DAZN, and Fox, GCL is set to reach millions of chess fans across the globe, taking the game to a whole new level of entertainment.
GCL is expected to have an extensive global reach, with over 200 million viewers in India alone and an additional 150 million across the US and Asian countries. Season 1 of the GCL saw massive engagement on social media, with 75 million impressions on Instagram and 32 million views on YouTube, establishing the GCL as a premier event for fans of the game.
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