Evgenii "Gufis" Kondratev Long before debates arose about whether esports should be considered a sport, the same question was being asked about chess. Indeed, chess and esports are similar in that both are a clash of the intellects. It would therefore be logical to assume that, in today's age of computers, it was only a matter of time before these two worlds would intersect.
This will happen next year as part of the Esports World Cup. Chess will become an official discipline of the tournament, and 16 players will compete for a prize pool of $1.5 million.
The format of the matches is intriguing. Clearly, no one will be waiting for several hours (as is the case with classical time control matches), and the tournament will feature an unusual format: players will have 10 minutes, with no added time. Since the tournament will be held in partnership with the platform chess.com, it is reasonable to assume that the games will be played on computers. The platform allows pre-moves, which makes a no-increment time control possible, and most importantly, the matches will be dynamic.
Image: esportsworldcup.com
Current world number one and arguably the greatest chess player in history, Magnus Carlsen, will be the ambassador for the project, which will add credibility to the event. The Esports World Cup 2025 will take place in Saudi Arabia next summer.
Main image: esportsworldcup.com
0 comments