Why chess' inclusion in Esports World Cup could lead to friction with governing body FIDE

Chess is set to make its debut at the Esports World Cup that takes place in July and August this year in Riyadh and will feature some of the top players in the world including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Arjun Erigaisi. Here’s why it could run into trouble with FIDE, the Lausanne-based governing body.

The Esports World Cup is set to host its second edition in the months of July and August, with the event set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia once again. The inaugural event last year had featured several popular games such as Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, Fortnite, EA Sports FC, Counter-Strike 2, etc. with a majority of those getting included in this year’s programme as well.

What sets the 2025 Esports World Cup apart though is the inclusion of the inclusion of chess, a board game that has been in existence for more than a thousand years whose online version has grown in popularity with the advent of technology and will feature in the upcoming event.

Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, ranked first and second respectively in the world, will be in action at the World Cup, as will Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi – ranked fourth in the world.

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