February saw a seismic shift in the esports landscape as top chess players joined forces with major esports organizations. Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren are now poised to compete alongside Dota 2 and CS:GO professionals at the Esports World Cup (EWC), one of the world's largest esports tournaments.
Table of Contents
- Why Are Esports Organizations Recruiting Chess Players?
- Who Signed With Whom?
- Magnus Carlsen
- Ian Nepomniachtchi
- Ding Liren
- Fabiano Caruana
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
- Volodar Murzin
- Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik
Why Are Esports Organizations Recruiting Chess Players?
The answer is simple: 2025 marks chess's debut as an official discipline at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, boasting a massive $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, has rapidly expanded from its initial five disciplines (Dota 2, PUBG, Rocket League, FIFA, and CS:GO) to encompass 25, reflecting Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global esports hub by 2030.
Scheduled from June to August 2025, the EWC offers a staggering $60 million prize pool. Crucially, teams earn points based on their top-eight finishes across all disciplines. To maximize their chances of winning, teams need a strong presence in every discipline, including chess.
Who Signed With Whom?
Magnus Carlsen
- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 1 The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, thrilled to be part of a leading esports organization. Team Liquid's Co-CEO, Steve Arhane, hailed Carlsen as the greatest chess player of all time.
Ian Nepomniachtchi
- Team: Aurora
- FIDE Ranking: 9 Russia's top chess player, known for his rapid chess prowess, joined Aurora Gaming, excited about chess's inclusion in the EWC.
Ding Liren
- Team: LGD
- FIDE Ranking: 17 Despite a recent setback, the Chinese grandmaster joined the legendary LGD esports club for the EWC.
Fabiano Caruana
- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 2 Team Liquid further strengthened its chess roster with the signing of American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana on a three-year contract.
Hikaru Nakamura
- Team: Team Falcons
- FIDE Ranking: 3 Five-time U.S. Chess Champion and Twitch star Hikaru Nakamura added significant star power to Team Falcons.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
- Team: Vitality
- FIDE Ranking: 22 French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave joined Vitality, a prominent esports organization known for its success in CS:GO and Valorant.
Volodar Murzin
- Team: AG Global Esports
- FIDE Ranking: 70 Eighteen-year-old Volodar Murzin, a 2024 World Rapid Championship winner, signed with AG Global Esports, bolstering their rapid chess capabilities.
Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik
- Team: NAVI
- FIDE Rankings: 11th, 6th, and 166th respectively NAVI significantly expanded its chess division by signing grandmasters Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik for the EWC.
