RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation and Chess.com have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring competitive online chess to the 2025 Esports World Cup.
The world’s largest esports and gaming festival is set to return to Riyadh next summer.
Chess is one of the most popular games on the planet, with more than 600 million players, and Chess.com is a leading website for playing and learning the game, with almost 200 million members.
Additionally, grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will join Chess.com at the Esports World Cup as a global ambassador.
As part of the partnership, the Champions Chess Tour, a fast Chess.com tournament circuit, will become the primary path for the world’s best chess players to qualify for the EWC championship event.
In 2025, there will be two online tour events, in February and May, with a combined $300,000 prize pool, offering players the chance to compete on the world’s biggest esports stage.
“Bringing chess, a game that has been played for 1,500 years, to the Esports World Cup is a truly exciting moment,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“It’s the perfect example of how games evolve: from boards to screens, the core competition stays the same. Chess’ rich history, global appeal, and thriving competitive scene make it a perfect fit for our mission to unite the world’s most popular games and their passionate communities under one competitive umbrella.”
Reichert said the partnership with Chess.com and appointment of Carlsen as the game’s ambassador “allows us to not only showcase chess on a massive stage but also drive innovation and growth within its already vibrant ecosystem.”
Carlsen said that he was thrilled to see chess join some of the biggest games in the world at the Esports World Cup.
“This partnership is an incredible opportunity to grow the game, by introducing chess to new audiences and inspiring the next generation of players. Being part of the esports family is an amazing opportunity for chess to broaden its reach to a massive group of esports fans,” he said.
The top 12 players from the CCT will be invited to the EWC Chess tournament, which will take place between July 31 and Aug. 3, 2025, in Riyadh. A Last Chance Qualifier, open to both amateur and professional players, will be held in Riyadh and will determine four remaining spots to round out the field of competitors. Players will compete for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool, and valuable Esports World Cup Club Championship points.
Chess’ transition to online platforms began in the late 1990s, but the sport’s popularity exploded in the 2010s with platforms like Chess.com. This shift was further accelerated during the global pandemic, and the increasing popularity of streaming platforms and influencers, alongside viewing favorites such as “The Queen’s Gambit,” have cemented chess as a widely celebrated digital sport.
The Champions Chess Tour will bring the world’s top players together in a series of rapid-format tournaments. Launched in 2020, the tour revolutionized the sport by offering a fully digital, viewer-friendly experience, together with live commentary and interactive features.
The 2024 tour will conclude in Oslo this week, as eight finalists battle for the final $500,000 out of a total season prize pool of $1.7 million.
