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

February's esports landscape saw a seismic shift with top chess grandmasters joining major esports organizations. Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren are among those poised to compete alongside established esports professionals at the Esports World Cup (EWC).

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

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Why the Chess Recruitment?

The driving force behind this influx of chess talent is simple: chess's 2025 debut as an official EWC discipline, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, has grown exponentially from its Gamers8 festival origins, expanding from five to 25 disciplines. Saudi Arabia's ambition to become the global esports hub by 2030 fuels this expansion.

With a $60 million prize pool and a points-based system rewarding top-eight finishes across all disciplines, teams are strategically diversifying their rosters. To maximize their chances of winning, a strong chess presence is now vital.

Who Signed Where?

Magnus Carlsen

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 1
• The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, citing its status as a leading esports organization. Team Liquid's Co-CEO lauded 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, expressing excitement about 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 secured Ding Liren for the EWC.

Fabiano Caruana

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 2
• Team Liquid further strengthened its chess division with a three-year contract for 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 brings significant name recognition to Team Falcons.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

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

Volodar Murzin

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• Team: AG Global Esports
• FIDE Ranking: 70
• Volodar Murzin, a recent World Rapid Championship victor, signed with AG Global Esports, bolstering their rapid chess capabilities.

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 the signings of Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik.