Team Liquid (TL) player Magnus Carlsen has won the Chess Esports World Cup (EWC) title, defeating Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja in a convincing win.
Magnus Carlsen showed why he is the Chess GOAT at EWC
Carlsen, who is also an EWC Ambassador for this year’s edition, secured a 2-0 series victory against the French opponent. While many didn’t really put his performance into question heading into the tournament, the Norwegian grandmaster swept Firouzja with a 3-1 score on both first and second sets, reaffirming his status as one of the greatest players to have ever touched the board game.
The victory is another great milestone for Magnus Carlsen’s 2025 season, having already won Chess.com’s 2025 Champions Chess Tour to qualify for the EWC, as well as his seventh Norway Chess title and the 2025 Grenke Chess Freestyle Open with a perfect 9/9 score.
“I am very happy, a little bit relieved as well. There was a point in the second set where I felt I let him back in the match for no reason,” he said after the victory. “Overall, I’m happy with the way I played and the way I pressured him on the clock. A couple of times I rushed a little bit, but that comes with everything.”
Prior to the final, Magnus Carlsen had faced the other Team Falcons grandmaster, Hikaru Nakamura, barely beating him 4-3 in the semifinal series. The latter then defeated the Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi from Gen.G, taking the last place on the podium.
Team Liquid gets their first win at EWC and overtook Falcons for the standings
Aside from the personal victory, the Chess trophy means Team Liquid will earn 1000 Club Championship points, which pushed them to the top of the EWC Club Championship standings, ahead of the 2024 EWC Club champions, Team Falcons. As last year’s runner-up, TL will hope to beat the Saudi-based organization and clinch the important $7 million additional prize pool for first place.
“I think it’s been incredible. Not only playing, but watching the others. It’s been an amazing show, unlike anything I’ve seen so far. It’s just been a joy. I hope this is a big part of the future of chess. I’m really thankful to EWC for believing in Chess, for Team Liquid for believing in me as well, and for making Team Falcons have to fight at least a little bit for the Club Championship,” he added.
