Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah among Premier League stars 'addicted' to chess

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Haaland[/a] is so fascinated by the game that he recently invested in a ground-breaking new chess tour to capitalise on the increased profile bestowed by its celebrity players.[/p][p]As well as Haaland, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Salah[/a] and England team-mates [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alexander-arnold-trent/CEVJy6Bc/"]Trent Alexander-Arnold[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] are all avid chess players.[/p][p]Salah is obsessed by playing the faster 'blitz' version of chess using an anonymous online profile.[/p][p][b]"I'm addicted to chess. Every day, literally every day,"[/b] the Egyptian said.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] midfielders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odegaard-martin/ID32TGhp/"]Martin Odegaard[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-eberechi/Stf4BYFn/"]Eberechi Eze[/a] are both keen players, with the latter winning an amateur tournament in 2025.[/p][p]Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion, is a huge football fan and the Norwegian's love for both games has played a role in the surprise crossover.[/p][p]Alexander-Arnold often plays chess with his brothers and once levelled up to face Carlsen, who defeated the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] defender in a 17-move rout that lasted just five minutes.[/p][embed guid="5f2ae77a-62b1-4e42-921d-dfe2d885b44a" url="https://x.com/TheSportsman/status/1049282922166079491" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a] winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pulisic-christian/vTuaEfRq/"]Christian Pulisic[/a] has the queen chess piece tattooed on his arm in tribute to his grandfather, who taught him the game as a child.[/p][p]France World Cup winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/griezmann-antoine/OxCa1jdT/"]Antoine Griezmann[/a] and Real Madrid's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carvajal-daniel/rZh5FTHE/"]Dani Carvajal[/a] are also aficionados.[/p][p]On the surface, the contemplative, cerebral nature of chess is a stark contrast to the physicality and aggression of football.[/p][p]But dig deeper and there are more similarities than you would expect.[/p][p][b]"Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football,"[/b] Haaland said.[/p][p][b]"You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything."[/b][/p][h2]'It's remarkably similar'[/h2][p]Backed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the new tour will feature four tournaments each year in different cities, with a world champion crowned across three disciplines -- fast classic, rapid and blitz.[/p][p]Each season will have a minimum prize pool of £2 million ($2.7 million).[/p][p][b]"Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today,"[/b] FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said.[/p][embed guid="da2c7f40-1258-4a70-8a37-c04c5e09b719" url="https://x.com/FIDE_chess/status/2038722776870031513" social-type="twitter" /][p]Chess has its roots in seventh century India.[/p][p]But those humble origins are a far cry from the technology fast-tracking the chess boom, with online apps taking over from the traditional board as the game's most common battleground.[/p][p]Online play rocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and, according to FIDE, at least 1.5 billion people now have a chess app on their phone.[/p][p]Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit" and the impact of celebrity influencers, including footballers, have all contributed to the boom, transforming the previously staid image of chess.[/p][p]The strategy involved in chess also appeals to football managers looking for a mental edge in their tactical battles on the pitch.[/p][embed guid="b0475098-6f61-422c-b9a1-9bf6aeb7cb85" url="https://x.com/FIDE_chess/status/2034631781828219060" social-type="twitter" /][p]Quoted in the book 'Pep Confidential', Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: "You have no idea how similar the two things are."[/p][p]Avid Real Madrid fan Carlsen sees his game through the same lens as former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] coach Guardiola: [b]"In chess and football, the important thing is to control the middle. If you control the middle, you control the pitch or the board,"[/b] he said. [b]"In terms of space, it's remarkably similar."[/b][/p][p]But will the satisfaction of a successful checkmate ever replace the thrill of scoring a winning goal for chess-fixated footballers?[/p][p]For Kane, his true love remains football, leaving chess as the perfect way to relax.[/p][p][b]"I use chess to switch off,"[/b] he said. [b]"It's such a mental game. You have to focus on every moment."[/b][/p]