Haaland Invests in New Global Chess Tour

Haaland Invests in New Global Chess Tour

Erling Haaland has stepped off the pitch and into the world of chess, becoming an investor in a new global tour aimed at transforming the sport’s international appeal.

The Manchester City striker is backing the Total Chess World Championship Tour, a project led by the Norway Chess organisation.

A New Era for Global Chess

The new tour is set to launch in 2027 and will feature:

• Four tournaments annually in different global cities
• A world champion crowned across three formats:
  • Classic
  • Rapid
  • Blitz

A pilot event is already planned for this autumn.

Major Investment and Prize Pool

The tour will offer:

• Minimum $2.7 million prize pool per season

It is officially supported by the FIDE, which described the initiative as:

👉 “One of the most significant developments in modern chess”

Haaland: Football Meets Chess Thinking

Haaland explained his motivation behind the investment:

“Chess is an incredible game… it sharpens your mind.”

He compared chess directly to elite football:

• Quick decision-making
• Strategic thinking
• Planning several moves ahead

👉 “Strategy and planning are everything.”

Norwegian Influence in Chess

The move also highlights Norway’s growing impact on the sport, led by:

• Magnus Carlsen

Carlsen has dominated multiple formats and helped elevate chess’s global popularity.

Bigger Vision

Haaland believes the tour can:

• Expand chess’s global audience
• Improve its spectator appeal
• Modernise the competitive structure

👉 The goal: turn chess into a mainstream global sport.