When it comes to longevity, few games can claim to have the same enduring interest, passionate fanbase and player depth as Chess.
With 64 squares, 32 pieces and limitless strategies and tactics, one of history’s most enduring and popular games, Chess, has ignited imaginations for centuries and is now capturing global attention like never before at the Esports World Cup 2025.
Chess joined the Esports World Cup 2025 through a multi-year partnership with Chess.com, the world’s leading platform with nearly 200 million members and a global player base of over 600 million. The EWC Chess 2025 tournament is now live, running from 31 July to 3 August in a 10+0 rapid format – ten minutes per player, no added time. Sixteen top players are competing for a $1.5 million prize pool, with twelve qualified via the 2025 Champions Chess Tour and four earning their spot through a Last Chance Qualifier in Riyadh, where 256 hopefuls entered, and only eight remain heading into the grand final weekend.
Excited to bring Chess into a new era and expand its audience, World Number One Magnus Carlsen, who is also a Global Ambassador for the Esports World Cup, believes a new frontier for the game has emerged, offering new opportunities to capture the attention of players across the world.
“It’s been a really fun process for me to be part of, essentially from the start, when it comes to Chess and the Esports World Cup,” explained Magnus.
“For me, I wanted to get Chess more into that space, especially faster Chess, as I believe Chess is built for these kinds of arenas.”
For Magnus, joining the esports space is a natural progression for the game, as many of the world’s players engage with Chess through digital platforms and online gaming, as opposed to playing physically on a board.
“Esports are relatively new, and Chess has existed long before that, but most of Chess is going online, and I think having these arenas is a great thing,” Magnus explains.
“I’m very happy to be partnering with the Esports World Cup and to be a part of that from the start.”
Attending the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Magnus has experienced firsthand the global appeal of the industry, the state-of-the-art arenas, the excitement of the fans, and the elite skill of the athletes.
Participating in Chess’ inaugural tournament at the Esports World Cup 2025, Magnus believes that Chess is tailor-made for this platform and will help to elevate the game to new heights worldwide.
“For me Esports is a fairly new world, but the matches have been exciting, fast paced, and very, very close as well,” reflects Magnus after watching some of the tournaments.
“Looking at the enthusiasm from the fans here, both locals and those who have travelled a lot further to watch these matches, it makes me think, well, I really want that for Chess as well, and that’s part of the vision for us coming here.”
“I think that’s potentially a great thing for Chess overall. It’s more attention, new markets, new formats as well, which I think Chess really needs, and hopefully this is just the start, and the future will be very bright for formats like this.”
Embracing a different format to the traditional game, Chess at the Esports World Cup 2025 features a much faster pace, empowering players to be bolder, take new approaches, and test the composure of their opponent.
“The way we play Chess here, we play without an increment, and we’re playing on computers, so that means that mouse speed will be a factor,” explained Magnus.
“If you are good enough, it may not be that big a factor, which is what I’m hoping for, because my mouse speed is not that great.”
“It’s about blending strategy, tactics, and using both intuition and sometimes a little bit of longer-term thinking. Making split decisions based on the information you have, whether it’s intuitive or more thought out.”
Identifying parallels between the skills and experiences of esports athletes and high-level Chess players, Magnus believes there are similarities between the two.
“Obviously there are differences, but to excel at anything competitive, there are a lot of similarities as well.”
“I think the rush of adrenaline that players feel playing FPS games, for instance, is not that dissimilar to fast Chess, surprisingly.”
Navigating changes can be a delicate process, but for Magnus, Chess’ entry into the world of esports is a natural progression that will provide an interesting spectacle and attract a new generation of players.
“I think Chess is only just getting started in the esports arena, so I’m curious to see how it will go,” explained Magnus.
“What is important is that you want to combine a very good fan experience, which in many ways is the most important thing, as without fans we’re just playing games for fun. Combining that with the sporting integrity of the game is where the challenge lies.”
“Finding the best format for that, I think, is the key for Chess in the future, because we know with so many hundreds of millions of Chess players around the world, there is both a market for playing and for watching. We want to capture that with new formats.”
“The beauty of Chess is that it is easy enough to learn the rules and to play, and difficult enough to master that you get sucked in, but it never becomes uninteresting as the game is always going to beat you in the end.”
