GCL Season 3: American Gambits’ head coach Srinath, co-owner Prachura reflect on player draft
In the bustling Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 draft held in Mumbai, the American Gambits team made some bold moves to build a powerhouse squad for the upcoming season in India. Head coach GM Srinath Narayanan and co-owner Prachura PP shared their strategy, highlighting their hunt for top talent like GM Arjun Erigaisi and rising star Volodar Murzin, whom they see as the ultimate X-factor.
The team held onto their star players right from the start: Icon Hikaru Nakamura and leading women’s chess ace Bibisara Assaubayeva. During the draft, they snapped up key additions, including top men’s players Richard Rapport and Vladislav Artemiev, women’s standout Teodora Injac, and the young sensation Volodar Murzin, all to boost their chances in the league.
A heated bidding war broke out for World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi against the Alaskan Knights, but the American Gambits just couldn’t seal the deal. Prachura explained the close call: “I have a personal connection with Arjun. Hikaru rates him very highly, and we felt he would have been a perfect fit alongside him. I even went beyond the 250-point cap we set for ourselves just to bid for him, crossing 300 points. Still, with PBG holding 1,000 points compared to our 800, we simply couldn’t outbid them.”
Srinath echoed the disappointment but kept things practical: “Arjun was one of our top preferences. Having him alongside Hikaru, our top American player, would have been a powerful combination. However, we had to balance this with the need to save points for later stages of the draft. In an auction like this, you can’t simply handpick the players you want—every team is building their squad at the same time.”
The real highlight came in the Prodigy category, where they grabbed reigning World Rapid Chess Champion Volodar Murzin. The team’s advisors view him as a game-changer for GCL Season 3. Srinath praised the teen prodigy: “He’s not just a prodigy; he’s already performing consistently at the 2650 level and shows remarkable maturity and reliability for his age. It’s safe to say he’s the strongest junior in the world today.”
Prachura agreed, adding excitement to the pick: “Volodar is the strongest prodigy and the current World Open Rapid Champion. We expect him to deliver critical wins for us, as the prodigy board can be a real differential in this format, and we believe we have the best player there.”
As an Olympiad-winning coach, Srinath also opened up about the twists of coaching in a fast-paced chess league like the GCL. “In a league, flexibility is key. Unlike established events like the Olympiad, where everything is pre-set, here things change constantly. Different time controls and dynamic situations test your ability to think on your feet. The more challenging it is, the greater the opportunity to stand out.”
Looking ahead, Prachura laid out the team’s big ambitions: “Our primary goal is to win the trophy. Second, we want our players to perform to their full potential so we can retain them, rather than constantly reshuffling the squad. Third, we aim to strengthen our brand and show that the American Gambits are here to win, backed by celebrity co-owner Ravichandran Ashwin and chess legend Hikaru Nakamura.”
The full American Gambits squad now includes Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, and Volodar Murzin—ready to make waves in GCL Season 3.
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