Global Chess League Franchise Mumba Masters Signs Fintech Platform CheQ as Title Sponsor in a Multi-Year Deal

CheQ, India’s leading credit card management platform, has entered into a multi-year title sponsorship agreement with Mumba Masters, the Mumbai-based Global Chess League franchise owned by Unilazer Ventures Pvt. Ltd. As part of the sponsorship deal, the team will officially take to the board as CheQ Mumba Masters from Season 4, marking a major commercial milestone for the franchise.

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Bengaluru, CheQ operates a credit management platform offering credit card repayments, rewards, credit insights and AI-enabled financial products through a unified interface. With the recent launch of CheQ UPI, which rewards UPI payments made through RuPay-linked credit cards, the company has expanded its offering from credit management to everyday digital transactions.

The partnership comes ahead of Season 4 of the Global Chess League, scheduled to be held from September 5 to 13 in Bengaluru, where CheQ is also headquartered. The tournament will feature 36 players across six franchises in its mixed-team format, headlined by the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave & Indian Chess legends like Vishwanathan Anand & CheQ Mumba Masters’ very own Harika Dronavalli, alongside other leading Indian and international grandmasters.

Speaking on the strategic alignment between the two organizations, Suhail Chandhok, CEO, CheQ Mumba Masters, said, “Chess is a sport built on strategy, patience and the ability to remain focused on the present while thinking several moves ahead; values that strongly resonate with what we are building at Mumba Masters. Our multi-year partnership with CheQ is an exciting step in that journey. Starting with GCL Season 4, we look forward to building a meaningful association that goes beyond branding, creates greater engagement with our existing fans and introduces new audiences to the sport, further strengthening our shared commitment to the continued growth of chess in India.”

The partnership also supports CheQ’s broader strategy of building an integrated platform for India’s growing base of credit users, helping them manage credit and unlock greater value from everyday transactions. Spanning the next three seasons, the collaboration will focus on strengthening fan engagement and expanding chess’s reach across India through digital-first and grassroots initiatives.

Aditya Soni, Founder and CEO, CheQ, added, “Chess in India is going through an incredible phase, with more energy and excitement around the sport than ever before. We are thrilled to partner with Mumba Masters and be part of this momentum. They have a fantastic team, and we cannot wait to see them in action this season and celebrate the game with India’s growing community of chess fans.”

The deal also reflects India’s emergence as a major global market for chess. According to data from World Chess, an official FIDE partner, India accounts for 33% of its paid subscribers and 25% of its free-to-play users, ahead of the United States in overall engagement.

Over the next few seasons of GCL, CheQ and the team will seek to connect with this young, digitally active and affluent audience through fan-led campaigns, player interactions, rewards and other engagement initiatives.