Esports World Cup Must Move Its Chess Event Or Risk Losing Top Stars, Caruana Warns
Tensions have been simmering in the chess world for weeks now between the well-established Grand Chess Tour (GCT) and its noisy new disruptor, the Esports World Cup (EWC).
With the Saudi-funded EWC wanting to re-run its chess event this year at the same time as a scheduled GCT tourney, causing a big problem for players and organisers alike, the question on everyone's lips has been, "Who will blink first?"
Now, thanks to GM Fabiano Caruana, we might just have an answer because America's world number-three has just revealed exactly what he's heard is likely to happen.
Caruana was speaking during his latest hugely insightful appearance on the chess-focused C-Squared podcast. And, yet again, he's proved a very, very good source.
Speaking from Saint Louis, where Caruana is about to play in the Saint Louis Masters 2026, the reigning and five-time U.S. Champion reiterated first that the GCT isn't going anywhere. There's no question the Rex Sinquefield-funded tour is moving its dates.
However, Caruana also added that there remains a tiny hope that the EWC might, just might, cave in and reschedule. With Caruana's Saint Louis Chess Club links, you might expect him to say that. But there was more.
Caruana, in full gossip-mode, also let slip that he's heard GM Hikaru Nakamura, who was knocked out of the EWC last year at the semi-final stage, will return to Saudi Arabia—thereby shunning the GCT.
In conversation with GM Cristian Chirila, Caruana said: "The Grand Chess Tour is locked into their their schedule and I think they gave enough notice. We talked about that. So the question is will the EWC move? Will they be willing to move? Do they care enough to move?
"I think there's a chance and I hope so because otherwise the Esports World Cup will lose a lot of players. It will lose most of the best players in the world. In fact, that's the truth. I don't know for sure, I can't speak to everyone's state of mind, so I guess it's just speculation for the moment, but no it's a very, very educated guess."
The 33-year-old St Louis-based star went on to say that the "vast majority or just everyone" will choose the GCT.
"That's the truth," he added. "And there are a few reasons for that. One is that it's already a prior commitment and in general it's good to honour your contracts.
"The other thing is that there's just more money in the Grand Chess Tour. People can check the prize fund, but there's just more money there. Significantly more because it's many different events. It's a tour.
"Even the final alone is, if you get there, a final four, right? Then if you get to that final four, basically the prizes are very similar to the Esports World Cup. Like the first prize I think is $150,000 compared to $200,000, but it's a smaller field so you have a better chance."
And there another big reason why player might choose the GCT: GM Magnus Carlsen won't be there, he's already confirmed he'll be in Riyadh.
"We can be objective and say that if you don't have Magnus in the field, it's going to raise everyone's chances.
"So what people some people, I won't say who, have said that some other people will definitely choose some certain tournaments and I think that that's definitely not true."
Caruana is no stranger to either the GCT or the EWC. He has competed in every GCT series since its inception in 2015, winning the tour twice. In 2025, he signed with Team Liquid and took part in the inaugural EWC won by Carlsen. Caruana was knocked out in the group stage by Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Caruana's conclusion about the effect on the EWC was brutal: "It just weakens their event."
So there you have it—the two big events this summer are in flux. Maybe the EWC will move its chess event. If it doesn't we could see Carlsen and Nakamura versus a bunch of second-tier GMs while the rest of the top players battle it out at the GCT.