Serbian organisation Aurora Gaming has announced the signing of Ian Nepomniachtchi, the Blitz Chess World Champion, making him the first chess player to represent the team.
The Russian grandmaster will compete under Aurora Gaming’s banner in upcoming chess tournaments, including the ongoing Champions Chess Tour as one of the invited participants.
The event is streamed live on Chess.com’s official Twitch and YouTube channels and features a prize pool of $150,000 (~£119,076).
Moreover, he will Nepomniachtchi look to take on the world’s best at the 2025 Esports World Cup, set to begin on June 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“We’re happy to announce that a famous Dota streamer, grandmaster and the World Champion Ian Nepomniachtchi is joining the Aurora family and will represent our colours at the CCT and EWC. Welcome home, Nepo,” Aurora Gaming announced on X (Twitter).
Nepomniachtchi is currently the highest-ranked chess player in Russia and ninth globally. He is also one of the few players to have won two consecutive Candidates Tournaments.
“With chess now part of the EWC programme, it has the potential to become a full-fledged esports discipline. I hope the new, dynamic format will attract a broader audience,” said Nepomniachtchi on joining Aurora Gaming and making his debut in the chess esports scene.
“I’ve been passionate about video games for a long time and actively follow esports, so joining Aurora Gaming is an exciting opportunity for me. It’s a recognisable and ambitious project.
Aurora Gaming actively competes in multiple titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Apex Legends, and more. According to the organisation, it has earned approximately $1.5m (~£1.2m) in prize money.
In addition to Aurora Gaming, several other leading esports organisations have signed chess players for the season. This includes Hikaru Nakamura joining Team Falcons, NAVI signing Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Team Liquid bringing in Magnus Carlsen and more.
