Chess is coming to the 2025 Esports World Cup with a massive prize pool

Chess is joining the 2025 Esports World Cup next summer with an incredible $1.5M prize pool, and legendary Grand Master Magnus Carlsen will serve as the game’s ambassador.

The Esports World Cup is adding one of the world’s oldest games to its lineup for its 2025 iteration next summer.

Magnus Carlsen, one of the greatest chess players of all time, is also joining the event as an ambassador to help connect chess to the broader esports community.

“This partnership is an incredible opportunity to grow the game, by introducing chess to new audiences and inspiring the next generation of players,” he said. “Being part of the esports family is an amazing opportunity for chess to broaden its reach to a massive group of esports fans.”

Esports World Cup Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert said adding chess to the lineup was a “truly exciting moment.”

“It’s the perfect example of how games evolve: from boards to screens, the core competition stays the same. Chess’s rich history, global appeal, and thriving competitive scene make it a perfect fit for our mission to unite the world’s most popular games,” he boasted.

How will chess work in the Esports World Cup?

The Esports World Cup event is part of a partnership with the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) and will be used to determine who qualifies for the finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Format-wise, matches will be played under the rapid 10+0 chess format, meaning games will be ten minutes long with no time increments. This is designed to provide a quick pace and still let players’ skills shine through on the board.

“You will see in faster games, there will be a lot of swings, fast-paced actions,” Carlsen explained.

An Armageddon game will serve as a tie-breaker if needed. In Armageddon rules, Black can win a game by drawing. However, White starts with more time on the clock.

Esports World Cup

In February and May, there will be two online events with a combined $300K prize pool, with the 12 top players in the CCT being invited to the EWC Chess tournament.

The four remaining spots will be decided in a Last Chance Qualifier in Riyadh. The LCQ will be open to both amateur and professional players.

The 16 players will then fight for the crown between July 31 and August 3, 2025 and their share of the huge $1.5M prize.