Why chess is forging an unlikely partnership with esports

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — 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.

‘Chess is already a thriving ecosystem’

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.

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.

Carlsen, considered arguably the best chess player of all time, also agreed to work as an ambassador for the crossover.

“When we go into a game, when we go into any ecosystem, we want to get into it and add value and help grow it,” Reichert tells CNN Sports.

“And chess is already a thriving ecosystem – 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.”

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.

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.

Just 16 players will qualify for the tournament and earn their place through the Champions Chess Tour, hosted by Chess.com.

“It does make it a bit less like traditional chess, a bit more gamified,” Caruana, the current world No. 5, tells CNN Sports.

“I 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’t say for sure if it benefits mine.”

Future of classical chess

Caruana is excited to test himself against yet another online format – something which is becoming increasingly frequent for current stars – but understands that some in chess won’t be happy about the game drifting further away from tradition.

The American, who lost the classical World Chess Championship final against Carlsen in 2018, still sees value in the classic format and wants to “keep our historical legacy” which has “a lot of meaningful significance.”

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.

“I think that we are seeing a general shift to faster time patrols, which is also driven a lot by players’ 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,” he says.

“That’s something that’s 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.”

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’s governing body is supportive of the esports partnership.

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

“We are not, let’s say, just silent witness to what’s happening,” Sutovsky says.

“FIDE has a dual position. Not all the chess events have to go under FIDE, as long as it’s not the World Championships, and for us it’s important that if chess has a way to expose itself to wider audiences, the new partnerships, the new commercial entities, then that’s very much welcome because the entire chess community is going to benefit.”

Like Caruana, though, Sutovsky says FIDE will always look to uphold the values of classical chess and will not lose touch with the game’s core traditions.

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.

“While trying to be zeitgeisty and popular, we cannot and shall not neglect the unique tradition and what is essence of chess,” he adds.

“We do not believe that classical chess will die out anytime soon, and we will certainly not try to contribute to that.”

Start of the beginning

While the EWC will be the showcase event for chess’ foray into esports, it looks as though we’re still at the start of what could be a profitable future for both parties.

Team Liquid’s Arhancet can see the potential and has already spoken with Chess.com about how to collaborate going forward.

He has been particularly buoyed by speaking to sponsors who find the chess demographic to be a “really attractive” prospect.

“We’re just getting started,” Arhancet promised. “For us, time will tell how profitable or successful this venture is, but early onset is that we’ve made some really great decisions on getting involved in chess at the time that we did.”

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