Magnus Carlsen representing Team Liquid took home gold in Riyadh after a dominant performance against Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja in Chess at EWC 25.
Carlsen added another trophy to his legendary résumé on August 1, defeating Alireza Firouzja in the Grand Final of Chess at 2025 Esports World Cup. The Norwegian grandmaster crushed his opponent with an overall score of four wins, two draws, and a single loss.
The gap between the world’s No. 3 Blitz player, Alireza Firouzja (2856), and the world No. 1, Magnus Carlsen (2937), couldn’t have been more apparent after the action concluded in Riyadh.
The chess competition at the Esports World Cup consisted of two stages. In the group stage, the sixteen players from thirteen teams were divided into four groups and competed in a GSL-style double elimination bracket for eight spots in quarterfinals.
The playoffs were an eight-player single-elimination bracket. The teams that lost in the semifinals competed in a third-place match. All matches in the playoffs were best-of-threes but the final was a best-of-five.
A dominant opening
Carlsen looked sharp in the opening set, claiming a win and two draws to put the score at 3-1, securing a commanding lead. Having to reset going into the second set, Firouzja’s impressive retort saw Magnus blunder his rook after 50 moves, leading to Firouzja’s only win of the series.
Clearly unhappy, Carlsen shot back in the second game, punishing Firouzja with his calculating play. Firouzja looked pressed, burning through much more of his clock than Magnus. The difference between the two became even more obvious with each player’s heart rate displayed on screen. Carlsen remained calm and collected throughout the majority of the final.
A blunder by Firouzja in game three pushed the series to 2-1, with Magnus on match point. And just like that, it was over. A weak opening by Firouzja was punished by Carlsen, who ultimately defeated the French GM in just two sets.
“I’ve got my bow and arrow ready”
Early in the event, Magnus had been supremely confident. Responding to a Team Falcons trash-talking tweet in an interview, he stated that the Falcons “better do well in other games because you’re not going to win chess.” Then, following his victory over Falcons’ Hikaru Nakamura in the semifinals, he doubled down.
“It pissed me off when they cheered when Hikaru was winning,” he said. “I’ve got my bow and arrow ready, I’ve shot one Falcon, I want to shoot one more tomorrow.”
With two Falcons skewered, Magnus takes home the win for Team Liquid, earning 1,000 Club Championship points and rocketing them into contention to win the Club Championship. The grandmaster also wins $250,000 – one of the largest competitive chess prizes in recent memory.
Firouzja’s second-place finish locks Team Falcons in second place on the Club Championship leaderboard, still lacking the first-place finish required to win the overall club trophy. He also pockets the $190,000 second-place prize.
Earlier in the day, Hikaru defeated Arjun Erigaisi in the third-place match, a best-of-six series. With his teammate Firouzja in the final, Nakamura’s points do not count toward Team Falcons’ total, but he will take home $145,000. Erigaisi claims $115,000 in prize money for fourth place, along with 300 Club Championship points for Gen.G.
Text and photos: esportsworldcup.com/
Official website: esportsworldcup.com/en/competitions/chess