Report.az
Norwegian national team and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has become an investor in the new World Chess Championship.
"Report" reports that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) press service announced this.
In October 2025, FIDE and "Norway Chess" announced the creation of a new world championship. The tournament will determine winners in three categories: classical chess, rapid and blitz. The tournament will be held in a pilot format in the fall of 2026, and the first full-scale championship is scheduled for 2027. The total prize fund of the competition will be 2.7 million US dollars.
It is noted that Haaland, together with businessman Morten Borge, founded the company "Chess Mates", and this company will be the official owner of the Norway Chess tournament.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich described Haaland's participation in the project as "a signal of the cultural significance of chess."
