Chess set to make a move at Esports World Cup
The 40-year-old from Portugal, however, will not be the only icon present at the SEF Arena where the best competitors from the realm of esports will gather. Also present will be a certain Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Arjun Erigaisi as chess makes its debut as an event.
'There was a little bit of surprise,' said Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Esports World Cup Foundation, the event organisers, in an interview with HT. 'The overwhelming response has been incredibly positive. And now it's gone from that positive sentiment to a lot of excitement as to seeing something different and being able to engage with it.'
To be played in the rapid format, chess will be contested between 16 teams represented by one player each. The turnout from the chess community has been enthusiastic, with four of the world's top five taking part. The prize pool for the chess event alone is a whopping $1.5 million.
Overall, the 25 tournaments across the 24 different games – such as Valorant, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Street Fighter and more – have an aggregate prize purse of $70 million at the World Cup that starts on Monday and continues for seven weeks.
But with a roster of games wholly modern, chess, invented over 1500 years ago, stands as an anomaly. The online version though, which enjoyed a boom during the pandemic, gives it a footing in Esports.
'There was a digital renaissance and more and more people engaging with chess online during the lockdown. And we saw that more broadly across the entire sector,' said McCabe. 'Those really intense 10-minute games (rapid) is something that's really there. I think, coupled with Grandmasters as superstar influencers now has also helped us because there's been more than just the matches which has drawn people into the community.'
The inclusion of chess also marries the new world of gaming with an ancient craft. But McCabe asserted that for all of Esports' popularity, chess adds a great deal of value to the upcoming World Cup.
'Honestly, it's us catching up with chess and the chess community and really Esports being part of that and the gaming community,' he said.
Already, India is a growing market for gaming. But chess being a part of the Esports World Cup can open another avenue for Indian players.
'I understand five of the best chess players in the world are from India,' said McCabe. 'And so, there's a really strong representation there, that the best athletes in the world for that particular sport are already from India. That gives India a head start from this discipline.
'As for other games, we're starting to see other sports, other games really gather pace in India as well. I think it's only a matter of time before we start to see some other top Esports athletes coming out of India.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
26 minutes ago
- Hans India
Free Fire Max India Cup 2025 – Win the Golden Cup
After 3 years, the Free Fire game is back in India — but only the Free Fire Max version. The old version of the game is still banned. The new tournament is called the TEZ Free Fire Max India Cup 2025. It will have a big prize of Rs. 1 crore for the winners! Important Dates Registration starts: July 7, 2025 In-game Qualifiers: July 13, 2025 Online Qualifiers: July 26 to August 3, 2025 League Stage: August 22 to September 14, 2025 Grand Finals: September 27–28, 2025 Who Can Play? You must be Level 40 in the game. You must have a Diamond 1 rank. You can join through the game or on Garena's official website. Why Was Free Fire Banned? Free Fire was banned in India in 2022 for safety reasons. The Indian government said it had links to other countries and was not safe. Now, only Free Fire Max (a better and safer version) is allowed. This new tournament gives gamers in India a chance to play and win big again!
India Today
28 minutes ago
- India Today
Shubman Gill 2.0: How Edgbaston Test marked the rise of a potential India great
After Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, Indian cricket faced the colossal task of selecting a new captain. Jasprit Bumrah opted out of the captaincy race, prompting India to make a bold decision by naming Shubman Gill as the new skipper. The move raised eyebrows, especially with a challenging tour of England on the captaincy brings a unique kind of pressure, and poor results often invite intense scrutiny. Gill was under pressure to prove himself—particularly because his record in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) had been Test Highlights | Full Scorecard In 11 Tests, Gill averaged just 25.70, scoring only 514 runs with a lone half-century. Neither experience nor past performance seemed to support his case. But after the first two Tests, Gill has silenced many of his critics-at least for now. The tentative version of Gill appears to be gone, replaced by a confident and composed GILL RISES ABOVE ODDSIndia suffered a five-wicket loss in the Leeds Test after their bowlers—barring Jasprit Bumrah—failed to meet expectations. Yet, despite the defeat, the match offered a glimpse of what was to come from Shubman Gill. His composed 147-run knock stood out, signaling his readiness to take responsibility. He seemed to come out of his shell, allowing his bat to do the Edgbaston Test, however, truly showcased the bright future of Indian cricket under Gill's leadership. Not only did India break the Birmingham curse with a historic 336-run win, but it also brought out the best in Gill-both as a captain and a batter. Records that once seemed untouchable were alone amassed a staggering 430 runs in the match, dismantling the English attack with ease and earning widespread praise from the cricketing fraternity. Jonathan Trott, a former England cricketer, even called him a "carbon copy of Virat Kohli," such was his dominance and ahead, this match will be remembered as the moment Gill's captaincy truly took flight. It was under his leadership that India became the first Asian team in 63 years to win a Test in Birmingham. And it was Gill who inspired the turnaround after the heavy Headingley defeat.'NO NEED TO PANIC'Gill and India could easily have hit the panic button after the crushing loss in Leeds. The disappointment of failing to defend 371-despite having England on the ropes for four out of five days-could have derailed the team's instead of retreating into a shell or allowing England to tighten their grip, India responded with purpose and intensity. Yes, dropped catches and batting collapses had cost them dearly in Leeds, but at Edgbaston, India were far more clinical-and the results showed. From sharper fielding to composed batting and disciplined bowling, India looked like a side determined to make a statement."The most important thing-even in that last match after the loss-was that we were very close. If we had grabbed even half of the chances we got, the situation and condition of that match could've been very different," Gill told the there was no need to panic. The key is to stay sharp. If we keep scoring 400-450 runs consistently, our bowlers will keep bringing us back into the game," Gill job on the England tour is far from done-in fact, it's not even halfway through. A loss in the upcoming Lord's Test could leave India in a precarious position, potentially putting the series out of reach. On the other hand, a win would place them on the brink of a historic series has launched his captaincy career in style with the triumph in Birmingham, but the real test lies in consistency. India have fond memories at Lord's, with memorable wins in 2014 and 2021. Now, it's Gill's turn to carve out his own legacy at the iconic venue.- EndsTune In
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Winning at Edgbaston will be one of my ‘happiest memories' whenever I retire: Shubman Gill
Leading India to their first ever Test win over England at Edgbaston will remain one of his "happiest memories" whenever the time comes to call it quits, said India captain Shubman Gill revelling in the resounding series-levelling victory in Birmingham. For the 25-year-old whose captaincy stint began with India losing the series opener at Leeds, Gill underlined an all-round show from the team to make a strong comeback that was also the team's first win over the hosts in Edgbaston. "This is something that I would cherish for the rest of my life; probably whenever I would retire, I think this would be one of my most happiest memories," Gill said in a video shared by BCCI. "I was meant to take the last catch of this match, and [I am] very content and happy that how we were able to finish this match. "[There are] three more important matches to go; a quick turnaround after this one and I think it's good because the momentum is now with us." Gill said Indian players took responsibility for their performances. "The way everyone came in contributed with the ball, with the bat, those are huge positives," he said. "When there are different people stepping up and different people performing at different stages, that's what you want. That's what makes a champion team, and those were some great signs for us." In his dressing room speech, the Indian skipper lauded his teammates. "We have worked very hard to win this position. Over the past six to eight months, I knew how hard it was to be able to get a Test win, especially to do it here where we haven't won a Test match ever," he said. "I just want to say that I'm very proud of you, everyone, because I think on day one, we mentioned it's going to take each and every one of us to win a Test match, especially here in this country and everyone contributed," Gill added. Mohammed Siraj said Akash Deep was meant to get a five-wicket haul. Siraj's 6/99 also proved instrumental in India's win. "To be honest it was an important match of an important series. As a player, it feels great to create such memorable [moments] and history," Siraj said. "Whenever he was bowling, I was positioned at mid-off. I was telling him don't just go after taking wickets, keep bowling in one area and you will get the wickets. "Jaisa first innings me bola tha, agar uski kismat me hai, to panja milega. Second innings, next day, dekho panja mil chuka hai [I had said in the first innings that if he has a five-for in his fate, he will get it. Look, he got one in the second innings],' an elated Siraj added. Siraj said he would rate this as the third biggest Test win of his career. "This is the third best match of my life. First was Gabba, then Lord's and now this. I cannot describe this feeling," he said. Akash Deep added, "The biggest thing is that I took five wickets and our team won. It is a proud moment for me that I contributed in the team's win. I won't be as happy had I taken a maiden five-for and the game ended in a draw." India vice-captain Rishabh Pant said this team wants to "defy all the past", referring to the side's underwhelming overseas record. "The last time we came here, the task was incomplete at Edgbaston and this time, so happy that we were able to achieve it," he said. "One thing that we always talk about is how we can learn as a team and defy all the past, whatever we have done but bringing this team together and making it to a different level, that's is all we need."
