Praggnanandhaa joins Team Liquid ahead of the chess debut at Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh.
In a huge move for Indian chess and esports, 19-year-old grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has officially joined Team Liquid, one of the world’s biggest esports organisations.
This comes just days after he won the 2nd UzChess Cup, further cementing his status as one of India’s brightest chess stars. The timing is perfect—just a week before the highly anticipated Esports World Cup 2025, where chess will make its debut as an official esports title.
Praggnanandhaa Joins Team Liquid with Carlsen and Caruana
By signing with Team Liquid, Praggnanandhaa joins five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen and four-time U.S. Champion Fabiano Caruana, forming a chess dream team under the Dutch esports banner.
While Carlsen and Caruana have already secured their places at the Esports World Cup finals, Praggnanandhaa will now aim to qualify through the Last Chance Qualifiers.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen are teaming up. The duo previously played together in the Global Chess League in both 2023 and 2024, where their chemistry and talent shone through.
What This Means for India at the Esports World Cup
Chess is making its debut at the Esports World Cup 2025, taking place in Riyadh from July 29 to August 1. Only 16 players will compete in the finals, and so far, 12 players have already qualified, including:
- Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid)
- Fabiano Caruana (Team Liquid)
- Hikaru Nakamura (Team Falcons)
- Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons)
- Ian Nepomniachtchi (Aurora)
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Vitality)
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (NAVI)
- Arjun Erigaisi (Generation Gaming)
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Wei Yi, Vladislav Artemiev, Vladimir Fedoseev
Whole lot of letters in Praggnanandhaa, but no >Welcome to the team https://t.co/iC7ZARpuo7
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) June 28, 2025
Praggnanandhaa, along with fellow Indians Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, will now compete for one of the remaining four slots. Nihal and Aravindh are signed with Indian esports giant S8UL, while Arjun Erigaisi is the only Indian so far to qualify, representing Generation Gaming.
This moment is historic not just for Praggnanandhaa but also for India’s presence in global esports. The teenager from Chennai is currently ranked World No. 4 on the live rating list, making him the highest-rated Indian player—ahead of World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. His rise in both the traditional and online chess world signals a strong future for Indian talent on the global stage.
Overall, Praggnanandhaa joining Team Liquid is more than just a player signing—it's a bold step forward for Indian chess, esports, and the global future of the game.