The Esports World Cup (EWC) has announced a stunning new addition to the 2025 tournament's game lineup: chess. The game of kings, whose origins can be traced back 1,500 years, will now be one of the crown jewels of the glamorous and very well-funded tournament.

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Chess.com have announced a multi-year partnership to this end; Chess.com is by far the largest online chess portal (approximately 200 million members), and retired world champion Magnus Carlsen, to participate. The Champions Chess Tour (CCT) will be the primary pathway to qualify for the EWC Championships, which will be held twice, in February and May 2025.

Matches will be played in a Rapid 10+0 Chess format: time will be 10 minutes and holdings will not be added. In case of a tie, the game will be an Armageddon decider, with the white player having more time than the black player, but the black player winning by a draw. [Ralf Reichelt, CEO of the EWCF, said, “Bringing chess, which has been played for 1,500 years, to the Esports World Cup is a truly exciting moment. “It's a perfect example of how the game evolves: from board to screen, the core competition remains the same. Chess' rich history, global appeal, and thriving competitive scene fit perfectly with our mission to unite the world's most popular game and its passionate community under one competitive umbrella.”

Reichert goes on to call Carlsen “the true GOAT of the sport” and wobbles on “innovation and growth” within the LinkedIn realm and this “vibrant ecosystem.” There is no disputing that Carlsen is the face of it: a former world champion, grandmaster, and arguably still the best player in the world, his participation gives this project undeniable legitimacy.

“I look forward to seeing chess join some of the world's biggest games at the Esports World Cup. This partnership is a great opportunity to grow the game by introducing chess to new audiences and inspiring the next generation of players, and being part of the esports family is a wonderful opportunity for chess to expand its reach to a huge group of esports fans.”

The top 12 players in the CCT will play in the EWC Chess Tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, July 31-August 3, 2025. There will also be a Last Chance Qualifier, also in Riyadh, which is open to everyone and will determine the final four slots. The total prize money is $1.5 million.

Knowing chess people like myself, it is inevitable that some will turn up their noses at this announcement. But it is inevitable, and as a chess enthusiast, it is thrilling to see how the Internet has accelerated the enthusiasm for chess and popularized different ways to play. I have a few physical boards, but 95% of my chess is played online.”

Whether chess is an esport or not, or an actual sport or not, chess will be one of the main events of the 2025 Esports World Cup. And I think chess will be very successful. Once you get past the initial hurdle of learning the moves, chess is an endlessly deep and fascinating game. Watching two grandmasters play one another for up to 20 minutes is a wonderful experience, and very different from the more formal championship events that chess has historically been known for Say what you will about the EWC, but this was an inspired move.