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

February's esports landscape saw a seismic shift with top chess players joining major organizations. Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren will compete alongside established esports professionals in one of the world's largest tournaments.

Table of Contents

• Why the Chess Recruitment?
• Who Signed Where?
  • Magnus Carlsen
  • Ian Nepomniachtchi
  • Ding Liren
  • Fabiano Caruana
  • Hikaru Nakamura
  • Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
  • Volodar Murzin
  • Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik

Image: x.com

Why the Chess Recruitment?

The answer is simple: Chess debuts as an official Esports World Cup (EWC) discipline in Riyadh in 2025, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, a premier annual esports championship in Saudi Arabia, has expanded from five to 25 disciplines, reflecting Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global esports hub by 2030.

With a $60 million prize pool and a points system rewarding top-eight finishes across all disciplines, teams are strategically diversifying their rosters. Last year's winner, Team Falcons, highlights the advantage of broad participation. Chess representation is key to maximizing a team's chances.

Who Signed Where?

Magnus Carlsen

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 1
• The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, calling it the "biggest and best esports organization." Team Liquid's Co-CEO, Steve Arhane, hailed Carlsen as the "greatest chess player of all time."

Ian Nepomniachtchi

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• Team: Aurora Gaming
• FIDE Ranking: 9
• Russia's top chess player joined Aurora Gaming, praising chess's EWC inclusion and the ambitious nature of the project.

Ding Liren

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• Team: LGD
• FIDE Ranking: 17
• Despite a recent setback, the legendary Chinese esports club LGD added Ding Liren to their EWC roster.

Fabiano Caruana

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 2
• Team Liquid further strengthened its chess presence with a three-year contract signing of American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.

Hikaru Nakamura

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• Team: Team Falcons
• FIDE Ranking: 3
• The five-time U.S. Chess Champion and Twitch star Hikaru Nakamura joined Team Falcons, significantly boosting their team.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

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• Team: Vitality
• FIDE Ranking: 22
• French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave joined Vitality, a prominent French esports organization known for its success in CS:GO and Valorant.

Volodar Murzin

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• Team: AG Global Esports
• FIDE Ranking: 70
• Eighteen-year-old Volodar Murzin, a 2024 World Rapid Championship winner, signed with AG Global Esports, strengthening their rapid chess capabilities.

Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik

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• Team: NAVI
• FIDE Rankings: 11th, 6th, and 166th
• NAVI expanded its chess division by signing grandmasters Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik for the EWC.