{"id":14,"date":"2025-05-19T13:21:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/?p=14"},"modified":"2025-05-19T13:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:21:21","slug":"why-chess-is-forging-an-unlikely-partnership-with-esports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/why-chess-is-forging-an-unlikely-partnership-with-esports\/","title":{"rendered":"Why chess is forging an unlikely partnership with esports"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ancient game of\u00a0chess<\/a>\u00a0is 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.<\/p>\n

Much of that is true today, with the classical form of chess still prominent on the global stage. However, it\u2019s no longer alone and perhaps in danger of taking a back seat.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span>A new esports tournament in Saudi Arabia promises to be a game-changer \u2013 but it\u2019s also caused division in the industry<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And, thanks to organizations such as Chess.com and streaming platforms such as Twitch, the game is now increasingly being played\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 so much so that it\u2019s set to make its debut at the\u00a0Esports World Cup<\/a>\u00a0(EWC) later this year.<\/p>\n

The tournament, hosted and part-funded by\u00a0Saudi Arabia<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 playing a new format which is deemed more accessible to an esports audience.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Team Liquid, one of the biggest esports teams, didn\u2019t hold back and signed Norwegian world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and American No. 2 Fabiano Caruana.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, we\u2019ve been big fans of chess, and I think the main reason is because there\u2019s a considerable amount of overlap in the demographics of gamers and chess players,\u201d Team Liquid\u2019s CEO Steve Arhancet tells\u00a0CNN Sports<\/a>, adding that \u201cThe Queen\u2019s Gambit\u201d television show and lockdowns sparked a surge of popularity in chess streamers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chess\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

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Team Liquid CEO Steve Arhancet believes chess and esports can be a profitable partnership.<\/span><\/div>\n

AWNewYork\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Chess is already a thriving ecosystem\u2019<\/h2>\n

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) which organizes the EWC, says merging the tournament with the chess world is a huge opportunity for both parties.<\/p>\n

Reichert says the EWCF held positive conversations with top players and Chess.com, largely considered the home of online chess, before announcing a three-year partnership which will allow teams to truly invest in the venture.<\/p>\n

Carlsen, considered arguably the best chess player of all time, also agreed to work as an ambassador for the crossover.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go into a game, when we go into any ecosystem, we want to get into it and add value and help grow it,\u201d Reichert tells CNN Sports.<\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span>\u2018What has happened online actually dwarfs what Magnus has done\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cAnd chess is already a thriving ecosystem \u2013 one of the fastest growing sports in the last few years. We thought that we can bring a real foothold for it in the esports ecosystem, specifically into the club ecosystem, and so that was almost the theoretical construct behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The format, though, was something that took some time to settle on. The goal was to create a version which would stay true to tradition while incorporating elements associated with fast-paced esports games.<\/p>\n

The result was the creation of a 10+0 format, which would give both players 10 minutes to make their moves without any chance to add additional time, increasing the chances of blunders as players battle against the clock.<\/p>\n

Just 16 players will qualify for the tournament and earn their place through the Champions Chess Tour, hosted by Chess.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does make it a bit less like traditional chess, a bit more gamified,\u201d Caruana, the current world No. 5, tells CNN Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there will be players who are not super happy about that format, and some players who might like it more, and also some players for whom it will definitely benefit their chances. I can\u2019t say for sure if it benefits mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fabiano Caruana, ranked fifth in the world, believes the traditions of chess can still exist.<\/span><\/div>\n

Gregor Fischer\/picture-alliance\/dpa\/AP<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Future of classical chess<\/h2>\n

Caruana is excited to test himself against yet another online format \u2013 something which is becoming increasingly frequent for current stars \u2013 but understands that some in chess won\u2019t be happy about the game drifting further away from tradition.<\/p>\n

The American, who lost the classical World Chess Championship final against Carlsen in 2018, still sees value in the classic format and wants to \u201ckeep our historical legacy\u201d which has \u201ca lot of meaningful significance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span>Magnus Carlsen rules out classical World Chess Championship return, shifting focus to new era<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As chess continues to shift more towards online platforms, he envisions a future where the top players continue to split their time across all the different formats, allowing them to diversify their training.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that we are seeing a general shift to faster time patrols, which is also driven a lot by players\u2019 preferences, and perhaps also by the market, because most people, I would assume from the spectator side, want to see faster, and you could argue more dynamic and exciting formats,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something that\u2019s already been going on for a long time. I think that chess joining esports is just another step in that direction, but we were already moving there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is still very much considered the home of classic chess but its CEO Emil Sutovsky tells CNN Sports that the game\u2019s governing body is supportive of the esports partnership.<\/p>\n

He says FIDE was involved in early conversations with the EWCF, before Chess.com became the natural partner on which to stage the EWC.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not, let\u2019s say, just silent witness to what\u2019s happening,\u201d Sutovsky says.<\/p>\n

\u201cFIDE has a dual position. Not all the chess events have to go under FIDE, as long as it\u2019s not the World Championships, and for us it\u2019s important that if chess has a way to expose itself to wider audiences, the new partnerships, the new commercial entities, then that\u2019s very much welcome because the entire chess community is going to benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span>The near-silent sport which has become the latest focus of Saudi Arabia\u2019s imagination<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Like Caruana, though, Sutovsky says FIDE will always look to uphold the values of classical chess and will not lose touch with the game\u2019s core traditions.<\/p>\n

He also says that Saudi Arabia could well start hosting more top FIDE events in the not too distant future, in order to reach wider and youngster audiances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile trying to be zeitgeisty and popular, we cannot and shall not neglect the unique tradition and what is essence of chess,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not believe that classical chess will die out anytime soon, and we will certainly not try to contribute to that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ancient game of\u00a0chess\u00a0is 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, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gadgetglow.click\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}