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.<\/p>\n
Manchester City<\/a> striker Haaland<\/a> 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 its celebrity players.<\/p>\n As well as Haaland, Liverpool<\/a> forward Salah<\/a> and England team-mates Harry Kane<\/a>, Trent Alexander-Arnold<\/a> and Anthony Gordon<\/a> are all avid chess players.<\/p>\n Salah is obsessed by playing the faster ‘blitz’ version of chess using an anonymous online profile.<\/p>\n “I’m addicted to chess. Every day, literally every day,” the Egyptian said.<\/p>\n Arsenal<\/a> midfielders Martin Odegaard<\/a> and Eberechi Eze<\/a> are both keen players, with the latter winning an amateur tournament in 2025.<\/p>\n Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion, is a huge football fan and the Norwegian’s love for both games has played a role in the surprise crossover.<\/p>\n Alexander-Arnold often plays chess with his brothers and once levelled up to face Carlsen, who defeated the Real Madrid<\/a> defender in a 17-move rout that lasted just five minutes.<\/p>\n AC Milan<\/a> winger Christian Pulisic<\/a> has the queen chess piece tattooed on his arm in tribute to his grandfather, who taught him the game as a child.<\/p>\n France World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann<\/a> and Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal<\/a> are also aficionados.<\/p>\n On the surface, the contemplative, cerebral nature of chess is a stark contrast to the physicality and aggression of football.<\/p>\n But dig deeper and there are more similarities than you would expect.<\/p>\n “Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football,” Haaland said.<\/p>\n “You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything.”<\/p>\n ‘It’s remarkably similar’<\/p>\n Backed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the new tour will feature four tournaments each year in different cities, with a world champion crowned across three disciplines — fast classic, rapid and blitz.<\/p>\n Each season will have a minimum prize pool of \u00a32 million ($2.7 million).<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n Chess has its roots in seventh century India.<\/p>\n But those humble origins are 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.<\/p>\n Online play rocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and, according to FIDE, at least 1.5 billion people now have a chess app on their phone.<\/p>\n Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” and the impact of celebrity influencers, including footballers, have all contributed to the boom, transforming the previously staid image of chess.<\/p>\n The strategy involved in chess also appeals to football managers looking for a mental edge in their tactical battles on the pitch.<\/p>\n Quoted in the book ‘Pep Confidential’, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: “You have no idea how similar the two things are.”<\/p>\n