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| Filipino-American super GM Wesley So is now part of NaVi for the Esports World Cup. Maria Emelianova/Chess.com (file photo) |
TAGAYTAY--Major esports outfits have begun recruiting the top woodpushers on the planet as online chess makes its debut in the Esports World Cup.
NaVi was among the first to announce its new chess team, revealing on Saturday night that it has signed up super grandmaster Wesley So.
The former Filipino wunderkind, who now represents the United States in global play, headlines NaVi's newly founded kingslayer arm.
Also joining the world number 11 in NaVi are GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov, currently ranked fourth in the world, and Oleksandr Bortnyk.
NaVi's announcement came hours after one of its fiercest rivals, Team Liquid, caught the two biggest fish inside the chess pond, world number one Magnus Carlsen and world number two Fabiano Caruana.
The said grandmasters are expected to join the Champions Chess Tour, which will begin this week with a US$150,000 prize pot in Leg 1.
The inaugural EWC chess event is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3 at the Boulevard Riyadh City, where the top 12 players from the CCT after all the legs have been played will qualify.
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