Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland has expanded his business interests by becoming a strategic investor in a global chess championship tour. The 25-year-old co-founded Chess Mates, a company set to become a major owner of Norway Chess, which operates the Total Chess World Championship Tour.
The tour, scheduled to launch next year, will be hosted in four new cities and combine fast classic, rapid and blitz disciplines to crown a combined world champion. It will feature a minimum annual prize pool of $2.7 million.
Haaland, who launched his own YouTube channel last year and now has over 1.4 million subscribers, said he wants to turn chess “into an even bigger sport for spectators around the world.” He noted similarities between chess and football, stating, “You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead.”
The investment amount was not disclosed. Haaland partnered with Norwegian businessman Morten Borge in the venture. Norway Chess chief executive Kjell Madland said Haaland had “already contributed with several great ideas.”
