Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah are among the Premier League stars “addicted” to chess, helping to spark a surge in the game’s popularity among younger people.
Manchester City striker Haaland is so fascinated by the game that he recently invested in a ground-breaking new chess tour to capitalise on the increased profile bestowed by celebrity players.
As well as Haaland, Liverpool forward Salah and England teammates Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon are all avid chess players.
Photo: AFP
Salah is obsessed with playing “blitz” chess using an anonymous online profile.
“I’m addicted to chess. Every day, literally every day,” the Egyptian said.
Arsenal midfielders Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are keen players, with Eze winning an amateur tournament last year.
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion, is a huge soccer fan and the Norwegian’s love for both games has played a role in the unexpected crossover.
Alexander-Arnold often plays chess with his brothers and once leveled-up to face Carlsen, who defeated the Real Madrid defender in a 17-move rout that lasted just five minutes.
AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic has the queen chess piece tattooed on his arm in tribute to his grandfather, who taught him the game as a child.
France World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal are also enthusiasts.
On the surface, the contemplative, cerebral nature of chess is a contrast to the physicality and aggression of soccer. However, dig deeper and there are more similarities than might be expected.
“Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football,” Haaland said. “You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything.”
Backed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the new tour would feature four tournaments each year in different cities, with a world champion crowned across three disciplines: fast classic, rapid and blitz.
Each season would have a minimum prize pool of US$2.7 million.
“Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today,” FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said.
Chess has its roots in seventh-century India, a far cry from the technology fast-tracking the chess boom, with online apps taking over from the traditional board as the game’s most common battleground.
Online play rocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic and, according to FIDE, at least 1.5 billion people have a chess app on their phone.
Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit and the impact of celebrity influencers, including soccer players, have all contributed to the boom transforming the previously staid image of chess.
The strategy involved in chess also appeals to soccer managers looking for a mental edge in their tactical battles on the pitch.
In the book Pep Confidential, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: “You have no idea how similar the two things are.”
Avid Real Madrid fan Carlsen sees his game through the same lens as former Barcelona coach Guardiola: “In chess and football, the important thing is to control the middle. If you control the middle, you control the pitch or the board,” he said. “In terms of space, it’s remarkably similar.”
However, could the satisfaction of a successful checkmate ever replace the thrill of scoring a winning goal for chess-fixated soccer players?
For Kane, his true love remains soccer, leaving chess as the perfect way to relax.
“I use chess to switch off,” he said. “It’s such a mental game. You have to focus on every moment.”
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