February's esports scene saw a flurry of high-profile signings as top chess players joined major esports organizations. Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Ding Liren will now compete alongside established esports professionals in one of the world's largest 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
Image: x.com
Why the Chess Recruitment?
The simple answer: chess becomes an official Esports World Cup (EWC) discipline in 2025, 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, it has expanded to 25, reflecting Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global esports hub by 2030. With a total prize pool of $60 million (June-August 2025), and a points system based on top-eight finishes across all disciplines, teams are aggressively seeking chess talent to enhance their overall standings.
Who Signed Where?
Magnus Carlsen
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- Team: Team Liquid
- FIDE Ranking: 1
- The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, excited to be part of a leading esports organization. Team Liquid's co-CEO 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 player joined Aurora Gaming, enthusiastic about chess's EWC inclusion and the organization's ambitious goals.
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 roster 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 streamer brings significant star power 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 CS:GO and Valorant.
Volodar Murzin
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- Team: AG Global Esports
- FIDE Ranking: 70
- Volodar Murzin, recent winner of the 2024 World Rapid Championship, 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 respectively.
- NAVI significantly expanded its chess division by signing these three grandmasters for the EWC.
