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

February's esports landscape saw a seismic shift with top chess players signing with 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 the Chess Player 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 Player Recruitment?

The driving force behind these signings is chess's 2025 debut as an official Esports World Cup (EWC) discipline in Riyadh, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, has grown from five to 25 disciplines, 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 rewarding top-eight finishes across all disciplines, teams are strategically diversifying their rosters to maximize their chances of winning. Last year's winner, Team Falcons, exemplifies this approach. Chess representation is key to a team's overall success.

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, excited about chess's EWC inclusion and the ambitious esports 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 their 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, boosting their star power.

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 CS:GO and Valorant teams.

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 respectively.
• NAVI expanded their chess division by signing grandmasters Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Alexander Botnik for the EWC.