Exciting Opportunity for Chess Players: Compete at DreamHack Dallas for a Spot at the 2025 Esports World Cup
The road to the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) just got more exciting for chess players as a new pathway has been unveiled. Players can now compete at the DreamHack festival in Dallas from May 23 to 25 for a chance to secure one of four spots at the EWC Last Chance Qualifier and a share of the $20,000 prize fund.
The tournament, open to both professional and amateur players attending the DreamHack festival at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, requires participants to complete an online registration by May 16 to secure their spot in the competition.
DreamHack, organized by the German-French company ESL FACEIT Group, is renowned as the leading global gaming lifestyle festival. From its humble beginnings in the early 1990s as a local gathering for gamers, DreamHack has evolved into the world’s largest digital festival, attracting tens of thousands of fans at each edition with a diverse range of gaming activities, from esports competitions to live concerts to cosplaying.
Chess enthusiasts now have an additional reason to attend the festival, as Chess.com and EWC have joined forces to host a chess tournament at DreamHack Dallas. The event will feature four Swiss qualifiers followed by an eight-player double-elimination bracket, with all games played in the rapid 10+0 time control on computers at the festival. The finals will take place on a grand stage, adding to the excitement of the competition.
The top four finalists from the tournament will earn an all-expense-paid trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to compete in the EWC Last Chance Qualifier later this year. This presents players with a final opportunity to secure a spot in the $1.5 million chess event at this year’s Esports World Cup, scheduled to take place from July 29 to August 1 in Riyadh.
With chess making its debut at the EWC this year, the competition is heating up as several grandmasters, including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Ian Nepomniachtchi, have already secured their spots through the Champions Chess Tour. The remaining spots are up for grabs through the second leg of the Champions Chess Tour and the Last Chance Qualifier, making for an exciting and unpredictable journey to the Esports World Cup.
Who will emerge victorious and qualify for this year’s Esports World Cup? Share your predictions in the comments below and stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling competition.