Sports company PUMA has signed a long-term agreement with Norwegian Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and with the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Through the partnership with Magnus and the Tour, PUMA will connect the world of chess with the world of sport performance by creating engaging content and activations for chess fans around the world.

Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, is an avid sports fan and a natural fit for PUMA. At just 13 years of age, he became the youngest Grandmaster at the time and won his first World Chess Championship in 2013. In 2014, he became the highest-rated player in history.

PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden said:

We often think of sports as being physical, but you also need mental strength. Few people embody that spirit like Magnus, who is widely regarded as the best chess player of all time. We are proud that he has become a part of the PUMA Family.

As part of the agreement, the company will also support the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, which is managed by the Play Magnus Group, a company founded by Carlsen. The Tour is the most popular circuit in the chess calendar and reaches millions of fans worldwide through its innovative presentation of chess as a spectator sport.

Magnus Carlsen said:

Being part of a great company such as PUMA and joining so many people that I personally admire, is special to me. As a chess player, I am a huge fan of sports and that makes this partnership even better.

Arna Horvei, Tour Director of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, added:

This partnership is a milestone not only for the Tour but for the wider chess community. We are still in the early days of chess being a mass-market spectator sport, and together with PUMA we aim to evolve the image of chess on a global stage.

Together with Magnus Carlsen and the Tour, PUMA will help to expand the influence of the game of chess and bring the sport forward to millions of fans around the world.

There will be more details about the sponsorship deal during coverage of the Airthings Masters, the first event on the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.