February saw the esports world buzzing with excitement as top chess players signed 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 largest global 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 $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, is the premier global esports championship. Initially featuring just five disciplines (Dota 2, PUBG, Rocket League, FIFA, and CS:GO) as part of the Gamers8 gaming festival, the EWC has expanded significantly, now encompassing 25 disciplines. Saudi Arabia's ambitious goal 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, a points system based on top-eight finishes across all disciplines determines the overall standings. Teams need broad representation to maximize their chances of winning; hence, the recruitment of chess grandmasters.
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 what he calls "the biggest and best esports organization in the world." 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 (including a 3rd-place finish at the 2024 World Rapid Championship), joined Aurora Gaming, excited about 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 welcomed Ding Liren to their roster.
Fabiano Caruana
- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 2
- Team Liquid further strengthened its 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 added significant star power to 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, a 2024 World Rapid Championship winner, signed with AG Global Esports.
Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik
- Team: NAVI
- FIDE Rankings: 11th, 6th, and 166th respectively.
- NAVI significantly expanded its chess roster with the addition of these three grandmasters.
