Former Spain defender Gerard Pique joins chess investment boom
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Former Spanish footballer Gerard Pique attending a press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Jan 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Gerard Pique has become a strategic shareholder in the Global Chess League franchise Fyers American Gambits, joining athletes investing in chess as a commercial sport.
- Chess is evolving into a global sports product with franchise leagues, digital content, sponsorships, and streaming, attracting investors like Pique and former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin.
- Athletes use chess to improve mental skills, and investors see potential in chess's global reach and commercialisation, with leagues creating shorter formats for wider audiences.
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BENGALURU – Former Spanish footballer Gerard Pique has become a strategic shareholder in a Global Chess League (GCL) franchise, joining a growing number of athletes, such as Erling Haaland, investing in a sport rapidly evolving into a commercial entertainment property.
Pique, a World Cup winner and founder of sports and media company Kosmos, was announced as the latest shareholder in the franchise Fyers American Gambits at a press conference in Bengaluru, India, on Aug 17.
“Chess has fascinated me for a long time because of its depth, its global appeal and the incredible mental strength it demands,” the former Barcelona player said.
The investment comes amid a broader push to transform chess from a traditional board game into a global sports product through franchise leagues, digital content, sponsorships and streaming platforms.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin is a shareholder in American Gambits.
In 2026, Norway’s multiple Olympic cross-country skiing champion Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Haaland also invested in Norway Chess and the Total Chess World Championship, which is backed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
“There are so many interesting parallels,” said Norwegian investor Morten Borge, who helped bring Manchester City striker Haaland into the project.
“Even though on the pitch Erling looks like a physical monster, football at the highest level is also about preparation, strategy, timing and understanding decisive moments. In that sense, there are similarities to chess.”
Borge said Haaland was drawn to the game’s emphasis on strategic thinking and the mental discipline required to perform under pressure.
The crossover reflects a wider trend in sport, where athletes increasingly use chess to sharpen concentration, decision-making and pattern recognition.
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has frequently referenced chess and strategy in discussions about football.
Several athletes across sports have publicly spoken about using the game as a training tool, including former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and tennis greats Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic. At the same time, investors increasingly see commercial opportunities in chess.
The GCL, backed by Indian technology giant Tech Mahindra and FIDE, has sought to broaden the sport’s appeal through shorter formats designed for television and digital audiences.
Borge believes chess is following a path taken by several niche sports that successfully expanded beyond their traditional fan bases.
“When you can commercialise a narrow sport like darts, and when almost a billion people around the world play chess, the opportunity is obvious,” he said.
American Gambits will compete in the fourth edition of the GCL in Bengaluru in September. REUTERS