Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has announced his investment in a new global chess tour, aiming to elevate the strategic game to a wider audience.
The prolific forward is backing Norway Chess, the organisation behind the forthcoming Total Chess World Championship Tour, which is set to launch next year.
Haaland, 25, expressed his enthusiasm for the game, stating: "Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football. You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything."
He added: "I’m investing in Norway Chess because I believe the new Total Chess World Championship Tour can turn chess into an even bigger sport for spectators around the world. The team behind Norway Chess has already done an impressive job growing the event, and joining the project was too exciting to pass up."
Haaland, whose compatriot Magnus Carlsen is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time, joins a growing number of top footballers with an interest in the game, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Arsenal star Eberechi Eze.
The new tour will feature four annual tournaments hosted in various cities, culminating in a world champion being crowned across three disciplines: fast classic, rapid, and blitz chess. The initiative has secured the backing of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich commented: "Chess – like football – has always been a global language of strategy and creativity. Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today."
A pilot tournament is scheduled for this autumn, with each season boasting a minimum prize pool of $2.7 million (approximately £2 million).
