February saw the esports world buzzing with excitement as top chess grandmasters signed with major esports organizations. Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren are now set to compete alongside established Dota 2 and CS:GO professionals in 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: in 2025, chess debuts as an official discipline at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, is the premier global esports championship. Initially featuring only five disciplines (Dota 2, PUBG, Rocket League, FIFA, and CS:GO) as part of the Gamers8 gaming festival, the EWC has expanded significantly to include 25 disciplines. Saudi Arabia's ambition is to become the "global hub of esports" by 2030.
Scheduled from June to August 2025, the EWC offers a massive $60 million prize pool. Crucially, the competition uses an overall standings system where clubs earn points for top-eight finishes across all disciplines. To maximize their chances of winning, teams need strong representation in every discipline, including chess. Last year, 16 spots were up for grabs, with Team Falcons emerging victorious.
Who Signed With Whom?
Magnus Carlsen
- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 1 The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, expressing his enthusiasm about being part of a leading esports organization. Team Liquid's Co-CEO, Steve Arhane, called Carlsen the "greatest chess player of all time."
Ian Nepomniachtchi
- Team: Aurora
- FIDE Ranking: 9 Russia's top chess player signed with Aurora Gaming. Nepomniachtchi, known for his rapid chess prowess (including a third-place finish at the 2024 World Rapid Championship), welcomed chess's inclusion in the EWC.
Ding Liren
- Team: LGD
- FIDE Ranking: 17 Despite a recent setback in his title match, the legendary Chinese esports club LGD added Ding Liren to their roster.
Fabiano Caruana
- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 2 Team Liquid further strengthened their chess lineup 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 joined Team Falcons.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
- Team: Vitality
- FIDE Ranking: 22 French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave joined Vitality, a prominent French esports organization.
Volodar Murzin
- Team: AG Global Esports
- FIDE Ranking: 70 Eighteen-year-old Volodar Murzin, winner of the 2024 World Rapid Championship, signed with AG Global Esports.
Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik
- Team: NAVI
- FIDE Rankings: 11th, 6th, and 166th respectively. NAVI added grandmasters Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik to their chess roster.
