Grandmasters Enter the Esports Arena: How Chess Joined Forces with Top Teams

February's esports landscape saw a seismic shift with top chess grandmasters signing with major esports organizations. Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren are now poised to compete alongside established esports professionals in one of the world's largest tournaments.

Table of Contents

• Why the Chess Player Recruitment?
• 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

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Why the Chess Player Recruitment?

The driving force behind these signings is simple: chess's 2025 debut as an official Esports World Cup (EWC) discipline in Riyadh, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, a premier annual esports championship in Saudi Arabia, has expanded significantly from its initial five disciplines (Dota 2, PUBG, Rocket League, FIFA, and CS:GO) to encompass 25. Saudi Arabia's ambitious goal is to become the global esports hub by 2030.

The EWC, scheduled for June-August 2025, offers a massive $60 million prize pool. Crucially, the competition uses an overall standings system, rewarding clubs for top-eight finishes across all disciplines. To maximize their chances, teams are strategically securing top chess talent.

Who Signed With Whom?

Magnus Carlsen

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 1
• The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, expressing his enthusiasm about partnering with a leading esports organization.

Ian Nepomniachtchi

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• Team: Aurora Gaming
• FIDE Ranking: 9
• Russia's top chess player joined Aurora, excited about chess's EWC inclusion and the ambitious esports project.

Ding Liren

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• Team: LGD
• FIDE Ranking: 17
• The Chinese esports powerhouse LGD added Ding Liren to their roster.

Fabiano Caruana

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 2
• Team Liquid further strengthened its chess lineup with a three-year contract with Caruana.

Hikaru Nakamura

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• Team: Team Falcons
• FIDE Ranking: 3
• The popular streamer and five-time U.S. champion joined Team Falcons.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

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• Team: Vitality
• FIDE Ranking: 22
• The French grandmaster joined Vitality, a prominent organization in CS:GO and Valorant.

Volodar Murzin

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• Team: AG Global Esports
• FIDE Ranking: 70
• The 2024 World Rapid Championship winner signed with AG Global Esports.

Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik

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• Team: NAVI
• FIDE Rankings: 11th, 6th, and 166th respectively
• NAVI significantly expanded its chess roster with these three grandmasters.