Grandmaster Anish Giri joins Team Secret ahead for 2025 Esports World Cup
Grandmaster (GM) Anish Giri has officially joined Team Secret ahead of the 2025 Esports World Cup. He becomes the 15th grandmaster to sign with an esports team, a growing trend that has taken the chess world by storm. Giri has been a major force in chess since becoming a grandmaster at just 14 years old. A four-time Dutch Champion, he has consistently ranked among the world’s top players for the past decade. Although he has recently dropped to 18th in the world, he once held the top 3 spot and achieved a peak rating of 2802 in 2015.
Giri joins powerhouse of esports Team Secret
Aside from Anish’s competitive prowess, Giri is also renowned for having a quick sense of humour and being an amiable guy. His social media accounts, with almost a million followers, have established him as one of the most entertaining chess personalities online.
Team Secret was established in 2014 as a well-known esports’ organisation based in Europe. Team Secret is famously known for their Dota 2 team; they also compete in games like Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, Counterstrike 2, and League of Legends. With , they now venture into the chess scene.
According to Team Secret CEO John Yao, “We’ve always looked for talent that’s not only world-class but also forward-thinking. Anish is that and more. He’s a brilliant competitor and a hilarious and winning personality. We’re beyond excited to have him on board.”
The growing trend of chess in esports
The addition of chess to the 2025 Esports World Cup has raised a tide of grandmasters into esports teams. Giri was signed in conjunction with Anichess, an online fantasy-based chess gaming system. Anichess marries traditional chess and novel, fantasy-based mechanics in a thrilling chess innovation. The $1.5 million prize pool has attracted top players, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Hikaru Nakamura.
Giri’s performance and EWC prospects
Anish Giri joins a growing list of 14 grandmasters who have signed with major esports teams since February, following the lead of GMs Arjun Erigaisi and Volodar Murzin for Gen.G Esports. Notable signings include Firouzja joining GM Hikaru Nakamura at Saudi esports giant Team Falcons, and Team Liquid acquiring superstar GMs Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. This trend is driven by the inclusion of chess in the 2025 Esports World Cup, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 31 July to 3 August, with a prize fund of $1.5 million.
The race to qualify for the EWC is heating up, with one of two Champions Chess Tour qualifying events already completed. Giri is in contention for one of the 12 qualifying spots, having reached the knockout stage of the Chessable Masters. Currently tied for ninth place with 20 tour points, he will need a strong performance in the second leg, scheduled for 18-23 May, to secure his place.
