“Natus Vincere (NAVI) Makes Grand Entrance into Competitive Chess Scene with Star Grandmasters”

Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere (NAVI) has made a bold move into the competitive chess scene by signing star grandmasters Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Oleksandr Bortnyk. This comes as esports organizations are ramping up their investments in chess ahead of the 2025 Champions Chess Tour, which recently kicked off with the Chessable Masters.

NAVI’s announcement of their new grandmasters comes hot on the heels of Team Liquid’s signing of Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. The addition of Abdusattorov, So, and Bortnyk to NAVI’s lineup has solidified their position as a serious contender in the chess world.

Meanwhile, Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi has joined Weibo Gaming, adding to the trend of top players being signed by esports organizations. Wei Yi’s move is seen as a way to promote chess to a wider audience and combine the worlds of esports and traditional chess.

With the Esports World Cup offering substantial prize money for individual sports and overall placements, esports organizations are looking to diversify their player rosters to maximize their chances of winning big. The Chessable Masters tournament is currently ongoing, with the Playoffs set to begin soon and featuring top players like Carlsen, Caruana, and Hikaru Nakamura.

As the worlds of esports and chess continue to converge, fans can expect to see more exciting developments and collaborations in the future.