Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland, striker for English club Manchester City, has taken a new step off the football pitch by investing in the Norwegian Chess Championship. Haaland decided to invest in the tournament to help launch a new global competition aimed at making this mental sport a more thrilling spectacle. «Chess Masters», a company owned by the Norwegian player Haaland and businessman Morten Borg, will become the principal owner of the Norwegian Chess Championship, as well as the Total World Chess Tour, a new event organized by the company. The series, which will crown a «Unified World Chess Champion» across three time formats — classic, rapid, and blitz — will feature four annual tournaments in cities around the world. The International Chess Federation approved the formats last October, planning a one-off experimental event in late 2026 before the full tournament season begins in 2027. In a statement, Haaland said: «Chess is a great game, it sharpens the mind, and there are clear similarities between it and football». He added: «You have to think fast and trust your instincts, plan several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything». He explained: «I am investing in the Norwegian Chess Championship because I believe the new Total World Chess Tour can transform the game into a bigger sport for viewers worldwide». Chess has been growing in popularity in Norway in recent years, largely thanks to the success of world number one and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.
