Team Liquid officially announced the recruitment of Magnus Carlsen, World Chess Champion, to the organization.
As the second professional chess player to join Team Liquid, Carlsen will represent the North American esports organization in various international chess tournaments throughout 2025. With Carlsen joining, Team Liquid now has two of the best chess players in the world, after previously recruiting Fabiano Caruana.
Magnus Carlsen Joins Team Liquid
Carlsen is known as one of the best chess players of all time. He has been ranked number one in the world for 14 years and won five World Titles.
“It’s exciting to be part of the biggest and best esports team in the world,” said Carlsen. “As one of the biggest names in the world of chess, joining the best team and an exciting brand is the perfect combination. I hope chess can become a permanent part of the world of esports in the future.”
Apart from representing Team Liquid, Carlsen has also been appointed as an ambassador for the Esports World Cup, a multi-game badak togel tournament which will include chess as a competition branch for the first time in 2025.
Team Liquid isn’t the only esports organization expanding into the world of chess. On February 11 2025, the French esports organization, Team Vitality, also announced the recruitment of Maxime ‘MVL’ Vachier-Lagrave to their roster.
The inclusion of chess in the Esports World Cup provides an opportunity for various organizations to get involved, especially those in the tournament partner program.
Team Liquid itself is one of 40 organizations taking part in this program, with a total prize pool of $20 million (~£15.9 million) which will be distributed based on their team’s performance in the event.
With chess being one of the 25 games that will be competed in the 2025 Esports World Cup, it is likely that more esports organizations will recruit professional chess players in the future.