By Sahan Bidappa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Magnus Carlsen is no stranger to pushing boundaries. From becoming the second-youngest grandmaster in history at age 13 at the time to holding the world No. 1 ranking for over a decade, the Norwegian has redefined what modern chess dominance looks like. Now, at 34, Carlsen is entering a new arena as chess makes its debut at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. “I think — hopefully — both parties will benefit, which is usually what a good arrangement does,” Carlsen said in an exclusive interview to Gulf Times in Riyadh. “There are a lot of fans of gaming out there, and gamers who love chess but might not necessarily follow it. They might play it on their phones, but they don’t know who the best players in the world are, or when they’re playing,” he added. “Now, we’re kind of sharing a stage, part of the same experience — part of what 2,000 athletes are doing, and millions are watching. So, in that sense, it’s kind of like being in the Olympics. That’s how I feel. Hopefully, it can be mutually beneficial.” Carlsen, along with Fabiano Caruana, signed with Team Liquid earlier this year — becoming two of the first top-tier grandmasters to commit to the new esports-chess crossover. Last week, the Dutch esports giants added a third name to their roster: 19-year-old Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa. Currently ranked No. 4 in the world, Praggnanandhaa was one of the few elite players yet to sign with an esports team. His arrival now makes Team Liquid the most formidable lineup heading into Riyadh, featuring three of the world’s top grandmasters. Team Liquid’s roster may now be complete, but the qualification race isn’t over. While Carlsen and Caruana are among the 12 players already locked in for the EWC main event (July 29–August 1), Praggnanandhaa is expected to compete in the Last Chance Qualifier, held from July 24-26 in the Saudi capital. There, he’ll go up against other elite hopefuls, including GMs Andrew Tang, Oleksandr Bortnyk, Alexey Sarana, and Aravindh Chithambaram, for one of four remaining spots. For Carlsen, this moment isn’t just about rosters and rivalries — it’s about a wider transformation in the game itself. “I’m sure there are chess fans who will tune in to other games and start playing those as well. But for chess, I think it’s a great opportunity. And for me, it’s not only about that — it’s also about the fact that chess, especially faster chess, is tailor-made for an esports setting. It’s kind of a natural evolution of where our game has been going,” he said. It’s a natural fit for a player who has made rapid and blitz formats his own in recent years. Since stepping away from the classical World Championship cycle in 2022, Carlsen has doubled down on speed chess. In 2024 alone, he added a four Speed Chess Championship title to his name and swept the field at the Grenke Freestyle Open, scoring a perfect 9/9. “I think it’s natural, in keeping with the times, that more and more of chess will resemble the mode most people play which is faster chess and it is often online. Slower forms of chess will definitely still have a role to play, but I think it’s very natural for the game to keep getting faster. As for myself, I have my own preferences — I won’t get too much into that — but yes, I’m very happy playing faster chess,” Carlsen added. And there’s serious money on the line. The Esports World Cup Chess tournament will be played in a 10-minute rapid format with no increment, offering a total of $1.5mn in prize money. Every player who qualifies for the main event earns $50,000 just for participating. It’s one of the richest online chess events in history — and just one part of a larger $70mn prize pool spread across 26 games in Riyadh. “I think it’s great — for the players, for the fans, for everything. It makes the event more prestigious when there’s more at stake, for sure,” Carslen says. The Norwegian arrives in Riyadh fresh off a win at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, a Grand Chess Tour event he claimed despite admitting he wasn’t at his sharpest. It was his 10th win in 12 GCT rapid and blitz events — a staggering record. Still, he says the Esports World Cup presents a unique challenge. “Well, I’ve won both of the qualifying events. But I think this will feel a bit different — bigger, more intense. And we all know that one bad moment in one game can make a huge difference. I’m not at the stage in my life where I enter a tournament and don’t think I have a very good chance to win. So I will think that here as well — but it’s not going to be easy, for sure,” Carlsen admits. Though he’s often hailed as the greatest to ever play the game, Carlsen remains grounded about what makes him special. “I don’t consider myself a genius at all. I’m just a simple guy who plays the move that feels most natural — and often, that turns out to be right. I feel blessed to be in a position where I understand the game well. “I still demand a lot from myself. I can’t tell you exactly why it is — I just understand the game a little differently, maybe a bit better than my colleagues. But what exactly makes that so? I think I’ll never know,” Carlsen admits in his own inimitable style.
