Top GMs Join Esports Teams In Final Chess.com Classic Rush

Esports organizations are making a final push to add grandmasters to their teams for the second and last leg of this year's Champions Chess Tour (CCT). GMs Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda are among the six top grandmasters who were picked up in the last week.

The stakes will be high in the Chess.com Classic, which kicked off with qualifiers Sunday. GMs Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Ian Nepomniachtchi have already secured a ticket to the upcoming $1.5 million 2025 Esports World Cup. However, nine spots are still up for grabs based on the Tour Leaderboard.

Now players and teams are scrambling to make their mark, and in the weeks since Indian GMs Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin joined S8UL, esports organizations have made a flurry of high-profile signings. 

Here's the breakdown of the latest grandmasters joining esports organizations

• Javokhir Sindarov (Team Vitality)
• Andrey Esipenko (Virtus Pro)
• Vincent Keymer (Basilisk Gaming)
• Levon Aronian (Reject)
• Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Twisted Minds)
• Denis Lazavik (Team BDS)

Javokhir Sindarov (Team Vitality)

19-year-old GM Javokhir Sindarov is the second grandmaster to join the French esports organization after GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who signed in February.

The Uzbek grandmaster is one of only six players to achieve the GM title before his 13th birthday. He is currently ranked 31st in the world and the third highest ranked junior. He expressed his enthusiasm with the signing on his X account.

So happy to join @TeamVitality

I'm really proud to be part of this amazing family

I like being a bee 🐝#VforVictory https://t.co/URmXIRxKDN

— Javokhir Sindarov (@GMJSindarov) May 9, 2025

Together with GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Sindarov is a part of a rising generation of young talents from Uzbekistan. They were key to the Uzbek team that sensationally won the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.

Sindarov returned to the 2700 club in February, around a year after he first broke the barrier in December 2023. On the latest ranking list, the 19-year-old is ranked 31st in the world and third among the highest ranked juniors.

Having acquired both Sindarov and Vachier-Lagrave, Team Vitality will undoubtedly be a strong contender for team prizes during the EWC.

Levon Aronian (Reject)

Reject enters the chess stage with the signing of none other than Aronian, two-time FIDE World Cup winner and the fourth highest rated player in history.

The Japanese esports organization was founded in 2018 and field teams in other games such as Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG Mobile, and VALORANT, but Aronian is their first foray into chess.

Reject announced the signing on X/Twitter, stating that "The Lion plans on roaring this summer."

CHESS Div. 新設&選手加入のお知らせ

リヤドに侵攻するライオンの咆哮

The Lion plans on roaring this summer
Welcome @LevAronian

🦁: https://t.co/YVL0OoLwwy#RCWIN #ChessChamps #RoadtoEWC pic.twitter.com/IvF0bsFQQy

— REJECT (@RC_REJECT) May 14, 2025

Aronian is ranked 13th in the world and remains a force to be reckoned with in the chess world. He did not qualify for the Playoffs of the Chessable Masters, but gets another chance in the Chess.com Classic this week.

Andrey Esipenko (Virtus Pro)

Russian GM Andrey Esipenko joins Virtus Pro, a Russian esports organization that was sold to Armenian investors in 2022. The organization has players competing in such games as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Warface, and EFT: Arena. 

You play checkers. We play chess. With grandmaster @andrey_esipenko♟

Andrey is one of the top grandmasters of his generation — earning his GM title at just 16 years old. Known for his versatility and sharp prep, he’ll compete next at the Chess.сom Classic on 18th May, where CCT… pic.twitter.com/5I5RFZvMAA

— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) May 13, 2025

"Chess is becoming closer to esports, and I’m genuinely happy about that. As a long-time fan of CS and the EA FC football series, I see many similarities between traditional sports, esports, and chess. Virtus.pro is a club with a great legacy, and I’m honored to become part of it," Esipeno said in a statement.

Chess is becoming closer to esports, and I’m genuinely happy about that.

Nikolai Petrossian, CEO of Virtus.pro, said: "Chess has a rich history and huge potential in the digital era. Andrey is one of the strongest young grandmasters in the world, and we’re excited to begin this collaboration. We have no doubt that he will qualify for the Esports World Cup, and after the tournament, we’ll assess how to further develop chess within our club."

The 23-year-old made it all the way to the 3rd round in the Chessable Masters Playoff, knocking out GMs Wesley So (2-1) and Fabiano Caruana (2-0) on the way, before facing a roadblock in Nepomniachtchi.

However, the performance meant that the 23-year-old is tied for seventh on the Tour Leaderboard with 30 points, putting him well within reach of qualifying for the EWC.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Twisted Minds)

Polish number-one Duda has joined Twisted Minds, a Saudi-based esports organization and a key player in the country's growing investment in digital sports. They also have teams in Fortnite, TrackMania, and Call of Duty: Warzone.

The 27-year-old described the signing as a new challenge.

New challenge in e-sport world.
Great to be a part of that with @TwisMinds! https://t.co/Fp5MmmRob0

— Jan-Krzysztof Duda (@GM_JKDuda) May 15, 2025

Duda is regarded as one of the world's best speed chess players, as repeatedly proven with victories in the 2022 Oslo Esports Cup and the SuperBet Rapid & Blitz the same year. He also has a silver medal in the 2021 World Blitz Championship in 2021.

The Polish number-one made it all the way to the Semifinals of the Loser's Bracket in the Chessable Masters, securing him 50 points and fourth on the Tour Leaderboard, very close to securing a ticket to the EWC.

Denis Lazavik (Team BDS)

18-year-old GM Denis Lazavik has been showing remarkable results in speed chess events, especially online, since sensationally qualifying for the 2023 Champions Chess Tour Finals.

Now, the teenager has joined Team BDS, a Swiss esports team with successes in Rocket League and League of Legends.

Always one move ahead 🧠

The young prodigy 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗸 will be representing Team BDS for the Esports World Cup!#ChallengeTheGame pic.twitter.com/Fe2O34BRFF

— Team BDS (@TeamBDS) May 14, 2025

Lazavik has five points on the Tour Leaderboard after finishing eighth in the Chessable Masters Swiss, so he will need a top finish in order to qualify for the EWC.

Vincent Keymer (Basilisk)

The 20-year-old German rising star has become the first grandmaster to sign for Basilisk Gaming, an esports organization with a distinctive focus on science-driven gaming and a presence in strategy-heavy games like StarCraft II. 

"Together we will show how self-analysis and precise preparation can facilitate our improvement."

Germany’s brightest mind over the board.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce Vincent Keymer.

Willkommen to BASILISK, @VincentKeymer04. pic.twitter.com/PIgAXr2cl1

— BASILISK (@BASILISK_gg) May 14, 2025

Keymer is also known as a great speed chess player, as shown in the 2021 World Rapid Championship, in which he finished second behind only Carlsen. His most recent success was impressively winning the 2025 Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam and its $200,000 first prize.

Chess Esports Signings So Far

Previous coverage:

• 'Historic Moment For Indian Chess' As Aravindh, Nihal Are Picked Up By S8UL
• Speed Chess Stars Dubov, Artemiev Picked Up By Team Spirit
• 'Hilarious And Winning Personality' Anish Giri Joins Team Secret For Esports World Cup Push
• Firouzja Joins Nakamura At Team Falcons, Yu Yangyi Signs With Wolves Esports
• Nakamura Signs For Esports World Champion Team Falcons, Nepo Joins Aurora
• Abdusattorov, So, Bortnyk Join Ukrainian Esports Team; Wei Yi Signs For Weibo
• Magnus Carlsen And Fabiano Caruana Sign With Esports Giant Team Liquid
• Ding Liren Signs With Chinese Esports Team, Reveals Return To Chess
• Vachier-Lagrave Signs With Team Vitality Ahead Of Esports World Cup
• Arjun, Murzin Become First Chess Stars Signed Ahead Of Esports World Cup