Magnus Carlsen Brings Professional Chess Online with His Own Super Tournament

Prize fund is $250,000.

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is filling the void left by cancelled sports with the launch of the first highly-professional online tournament in the history of chess.

The Norwegian star said bringing chess to an online environment with a fast-paced, exciting format will be more accessible to a wider audience at a time when the world needs competitive entertainment more than ever.

At the launch of The Magnus Carlsen Invitational, Carlsen added: “Chess is unique in the sports world as the moves are the same whether played on a wooden board or a computer screen.”

”This is a historic moment for chess, and given that it’s possible to continue top professional play in an online environment, we have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to players and fans around the world who need a distraction when no other live, competitive sport is being played.” 

Carlsen is challenging seven of his fiercest rivals to compete for the largest prize fund ever seen in an online chess tournament, $250,000.

The Magnus Carlsen Invitational will be a two-week long tournament with fast-paced action featuring shorter time controls than commonly seen in conventional offline tournaments.

A tournament of this scale online has never been done before, and could revolutionize the sport. The tournament is planning supplementary engagements where online chess fans will even have the chance to play the top competitors and the World Champion himself. 

More than 70 million people around the world play chess online and interest in the game has spiked with people staying at home in recent weeks. The World Champion believes now is the time for newcomers to discover chess. During the tournament, the premium version of his Magnus Trainer app will be made free for all, for beginners to learn the basics of chess and hone their skills through his curated training program.

Carlsen’s first tournament, The Magnus Carlsen Invitational, will start on April 18th. Every move will be played and broadcast online by Chess24.com with expert commentary in nine languages.

About Chess24.com:

Chess24 is the world’s leading chess entertainment website, bringing unique content and broadcast experiences to millions of fans around the world. Chess24 offers bespoke entertainment, tournament coverage with the world’s leading experts, and much more through the world’s destination for chess.

In 2019, Chess24 joined forces with Play Magnus AS, the company behind Magnus Carlsen’s innovative suite of chess apps, enabling collaboration on exciting, new experiences for chess players, one of which being the Magnus Carlsen Invitational.

Information: Official press release