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Chess Enters the EWC 2025: Magnus Carlsen Leads the Charge

Chess Enters the EWC 2025: Magnus Carlsen Leads the Charge

Chess Makes Historic Debut at Esports World Cup 2025 with $1.5 Million Prize Pool. Magnus Carlsen serve as ambassador of the event.

Chess is making a historic debut at the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC), joining the world’s largest gaming and esports festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 31st to August 3rd. This partnership between Chess.com, GM Magnus Carlsen, and the Esports World Cup Foundation will see top chess players compete for a staggering $1.5 million prize pool.

Chess makes debut at Esports World Cup 2025

The 2025 Champions Chess Tour (CCT) will be the primary qualification path for the EWC Championship. Two online Tour events with a combined $300,000 prize pool will be held in February and May 2025, giving players a chance to compete on the world’s biggest esports stage. The top 12 players from the CCT and four from a “Last Chance Qualifier” (LCQ) will advance to the EWC Championship.

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Magnus Carlsen serve as ambassador at EWC 2025: Chess event

Magnus Carlsen, a true legend in the chess world, will serve as an ambassador for the event.

“Bringing chess, the mother of all strategy games, to the Esports World Cup is a truly exciting moment,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Chess perfectly aligns with our mission to unite the world’s most popular games and their passionate communities.”

“I’m thrilled to see Chess join some of the biggest games in the world at the Esports World Cup,” Carlsen stated. “This is an incredible opportunity to introduce chess to new audiences and inspire the next generation of players.”

To enhance the appeal for esports fans, the 2025 CCT will feature a new format with matches played over 10 minutes without any increment. Tiebreakers will be decided by a single Armageddon game.

With over 20 gaming titles featured, the EWC celebrates gaming as a global sport and promotes cross-game competition and innovation within the broader esports ecosystem. The inclusion of chess in the 2025 Esports World Cup marks a significant step in expanding the game’s reach and introducing it to a new generation of players and fans.

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