The Esports World Cup (EWC) has announced a surprising new addition to its lineup of games for the 2025 event: Chess. The game of kings, the origins of which can be traced back 1,500 years, will now be one of the crown jewels of a glitzy and extremely well-funded tournament that's meant to show us all that, these Saudis, they're alright, yeah? Don't mention the dead journalist.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Chess.com have announced a multi-year partnership to this end, with the latter being by far the biggest online chess portal (almost 200 million members, apparently) and able to bring things like retired world champion Magnus Carlsen to the table. An existing and popular rapid-fire tournament structure, the Champions Chess Tour (CCT), will become the main path for qualification to the EWC championship event, and there will be two events, in February and May 2025, with a combined $300k prize pool and a place in the finals at stake.
Matches will be played in the rapid 10+0 chess format: Players have ten minutes to make all moves, with no time added. Tied matches will go to an Armageddon decider, in which the white player has more time but the black player wins with a draw.
"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 EWCF. "It’s the perfect example of how games evolve: From boards to screens, the core competition stays the same. Chess's rich history, global appeal, and thriving competitive scene make it a [[link]] perfect fit for our mission to unite the world's most popular games and their passionate communities under one competitive umbrella."
Reichert goes on, calling Carlsen "a true GOAT of the sport" before wobbling into LinkedIn territory and "innovation and growth" within this "vibrant ecosystem." There's no arguing that having Carlsen as the face of this is a massive win: Former world champion, Grandmaster, and arguably still the best player in the world, his involvement gives this an undeniable legitimacy.
"I’m thrilled to see chess join some of the biggest games in the world at the Esports World Cup," said Carlsen. "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."
The top 12 from the CCT will play at the EWC chess tournament, which takes place between July 31 and August 3, 2025, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There will also be a Last Chance Qualifier event open to all, also held in Riyadh, determining four final spots. The prize pool is $1.5 million.
Knowing chess people as I do, there will inevitably be some upturned noses at this announcement. But this was inevitable and, as a chess lover, it's been a great thrill seeing how the internet has turbo-charged enthusiasm for the game and popularised so many different ways to play. "Chess is an esport now" might sound like a marketing line, but it's also undeniably true: I have several physical boards, but I play 95% of my chess online and imagine it's the same for any fan.
Whether chess is or isn't an esport, or even an actual sport at all, it's now going to be one of the main events at 2025's Esports World Cup. And I think chess is going to work big-time. After that initial hurdle of learning the moves, the game is endlessly deep and fascinating, and the rapid-fire format being used here brings all the dramatic swings front-and-centre. Watching two grandmasters go hell-for-leather over a maximum 20 minutes is an amazing experience, and quite different from the more formal championship events chess has historically been known for. Say whatever else you will about the EWC, but this was an inspired move.