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

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 this influx of chess talent is simple: chess's 2025 debut as an official EWC discipline in Riyadh, boasting a $1.5 million prize pool. The EWC, held annually in Saudi Arabia, has grown exponentially from its initial five disciplines (Dota 2, PUBG, Rocket League, FIFA, and CS:GO) to encompass 25, reflecting Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global esports hub by 2030.

With a $60 million prize pool and a points-based overall standings system (top eight across all disciplines), teams are strategically diversifying their rosters to maximize their chances of winning. Last year's victory by Team Falcons highlights the importance of broad representation.

Who Signed Where?

Magnus Carlsen

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 1
• The 16-time World Champion joined Team Liquid, viewing it as a perfect partnership given his global recognition. 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, excited about chess's EWC inclusion and the ambitious esports project.

Ding Liren

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• Team: LGD
• FIDE Ranking: 17
• The Chinese esports powerhouse LGD added Ding Liren to their roster despite his recent title match loss.

Fabiano Caruana

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• Team: Team Liquid
• FIDE Ranking: 2
• Team Liquid further strengthened their chess presence 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. champion and Twitch star 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, 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 their chess division by signing these three grandmasters for the EWC.