The ancient game of chess is one steeped in tradition, with a history dating back centuries. It was once a game purely of endurance, a test of patience with titanic battles often taking days to find a winner.
Much of that is true today, with the classical form of chess still prominent on the global stage. However, it’s no longer alone and perhaps in danger of taking a back seat.
That’s because of the explosion of shorter forms of chess, which compile all those existing traditions into bitesize matches taking just a matter of minutes from start to finish.
And, thanks to organizations such as Chess.com and streaming platforms such as Twitch, the game is now increasingly being played online – so much so that it’s set to make its debut at the Esports World Cup (EWC) later this year.
The tournament, hosted and part-funded by Saudi Arabia, was held for the first time in 2024 and brought together professional gamers, publishers and fans from across the world for an eight-week competitive gaming bonanza.
Earlier this year, it was announced that chess would be included in the event, with the best players in the world competing for a $1.5 million prize pool – playing a new format which is deemed more accessible to an esports audience.
In a bid to compete in the new event, top esports teams have set about signing some of the best chess players on the planet.
Team Liquid, one of the biggest esports teams, didn’t hold back and signed Norwegian world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and American No. 2 Fabiano Caruana.
“For us, we’ve been big fans of chess, and I think the main reason is because there’s a considerable amount of overlap in the demographics of gamers and chess players,” Team Liquid’s CEO Steve Arhancet tells CNN Sports, adding that “The Queen’s Gambit” television show and lockdowns sparked a surge of popularity in chess streamers.
“I think folks now bounce around Twitch and watch different genres of content, and would pop into a chess streamer and watch games and then switch over to a League of Legends match. I think that cross pollination has always been of interest for us.”
Chess’ participation in the EWC has finally offered esports organizations a more serious business case to invest into chess and it could be a sign of things to come. It also offers chess another avenue in which to grow and capitalize on its surge in popularity.
