Former FIDE World Champion Ding Liren is set to return to chess action at the Chessable Masters after a hiatus following his title loss to D Gukesh in December last year. (More Sports News)
🤪Liren has signed with Chinese esports organisation LGD Gaming and will represent Hangzhou Mind Sports Team. LGD Gaming, one of China's oldest esports organisation, is also based out of the same city.
The only Chinese man to be crowned as the World Champion, Liren now joins other big names in the list of stars who have signed with an esports team ahead of the Esports World Cup. Chess 🦋will be a part of the Esports World Cup scheduled for later this year.
🏅India's Arjun Erigaisi, and United States' Fabiano Caruana are among the big stars who have joined Esports teams. Arjun has signed with Gen.G Esports, while Caruano will ply his trade for Team Liquid. French Grand Master Maxime Vachier-Lagrave too inked a deal with Team Vitality recently.
𒐪Chessable Masters, which begins February 16, is the first of two qualifying events for the Esports World Cup. The other qualifying tournament for the World Cup will be held in May. The top 12 from these two tournaments alongside four players from the ‘Last Chance Qualifier’ will lock horns in the Esports World Cup where chess prize will be $1.5mn.
