Puma has made some nteresting plays over the past few years, getting involved in esports and a number of video game franchises. Now the sports apparel brand is moving towards something more cerebral, signing a long-term agreement with Norwegian Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, alongside the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.

Through the partnership with Magnus and the Tour, Puma is hoping to connect the world of chess with the world of sport performance by creating engaging content and activations for chess fans around the world.  

Chess received a bit of a boost during the lockdown period, with the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit sparking a renewed interest in the game and boosting online playing figures.

Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Champion and apparently an avid sports fan, with Puma calling him a “natural fit” for the brand. 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.

“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,” Magnus Carlsen said.

“We often think of sports as being physical, but you also need mental strength,” said Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden. “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. According to Puma, the Tour is the most popular circuit in the chess calendar and reaches millions of fans worldwide through its innovate presentation of chess as a spectator sport.

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

Further details about Puma’s partnership with Magnus Carlsen and Puma’s involvement with the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour will be made available at a later stage.