Carlsen Defends Chessable Masters Title Amid Esports World Cup Buzz
In February, Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen secured another victory in the online chess world by defeating longtime rival Hikaru Nakamura in consecutive matches to retain his Chessable Masters title. The event marked the start of this year’s Champions Tour, a series Carlsen has consistently led since its introduction in 2020. The stakes were even higher this time, as the tour also serves as a qualifier for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The chess champion there will earn $250,000 for three days of competition.
The chess tournament is part of the larger Esports World Cup, which runs from early July to late August. Now in its second edition, the event has grown significantly, featuring over 2,000 competitors, 25 different disciplines, and a record $70 million prize pool, making it the biggest event of its kind.
This year marks chess’s first appearance at the tournament. The game has seen a surge in interest in recent years, thanks in part to engaging online personalities, platforms like Chess.com, the popularity of *The Queen’s Gambit*, and increased engagement during periods of isolation. This revival has transformed chess into a modern cultural phenomenon.
Saudi Arabia, aiming to leverage chess’s growing appeal, named Carlsen as a global ambassador for the Esports World Cup. Alongside footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlsen’s involvement is expected to attract attention to the tournament. Shortly after the event began, Carlsen expressed interest in playing a casual chess match with Ronaldo.
"I don’t know much about Ronaldo’s chess skills, but his achievements in football are remarkable. It would be an honor to meet him or play chess together while I’m here," Carlsen told journalists.
Carlsen’s association with the event was unexpected given his limited prior involvement with Saudi Arabia. He previously won the 2017 world rapid and blitz chess championships in Riyadh—an event boycotted by a leading Ukrainian female player due to the country’s policies toward women. At the time, Carlsen’s only notable comment was on the exclusion of Israeli players, stating he hoped future events would be open to all.
Unlike some of his peers, Carlsen is not widely known for activism. In 2019, on the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, he and former chess champion Anish Giri initiated the #MoveForEquality campaign, where they played a symbolic match with black moving first instead of white.
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