Vidit Gujrathi Joins Team Apex Gaming in Chess Expansion

Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi has joined Team Apex Gaming, becoming the esports organisation’s first chess player as it broadens its competitive portfolio beyond mobile gaming. The announcement was made on November 9, bringing an established international chess name into an organisation that has been expanding across gaming titles.

Team Apex Gaming announced Gujrathi’s arrival through a social media post that said, “Every great game needs a Grandmaster. Ours just arrived. Welcome, Vidit Gujrathi.” The 31-year-old also confirmed the move on X, writing: “Happy to be part of Team Apex Gaming. Let’s kill it!”

The agreement gives Team Apex Gaming a new presence in chess, but key details of the arrangement have not been made public. Neither the organisation nor Gujrathi disclosed the financial terms, the length of the deal or the specific responsibilities attached to his signing. It is therefore unclear whether his role will centre on tournament competition, content creation or a combination of both.

Team Apex Gaming adds chess to its portfolio

Founded in April 2026 by BGMI player and content creator Jonathan Amaral, known as Jonathan Gaming, Team Apex Gaming initially operated in mobile esports. It has since added Free Fire and EA Sports FC Mobile to its portfolio, with Gujrathi’s arrival introducing chess to its list of competitive titles.

The move is significant because it places chess alongside the organisation’s existing gaming interests at a time when the boundaries between traditional competition, livestreaming and creator-led audiences are increasingly overlapping. Team Apex Gaming has not yet announced Gujrathi’s first tournament or appearance under its banner, but the signing establishes a chess division around one of India’s leading grandmasters.

Gujrathi brings substantial competitive experience to the new partnership. He became a grandmaster in 2013 and won the FIDE Grand Swiss in 2023, a result that earned him qualification for the 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto. He has also been part of India’s gold-medal-winning teams at the Chess Olympiad in 2022 and 2024.

His career has also included streaming and digital content, making the association with an esports organisation a natural extension of work across competitive and online spaces. While the precise scope of the Team Apex Gaming role remains unconfirmed, the signing gives the organisation an accomplished chess figure as it continues its broader expansion.

Chess and esports continue to converge

Gujrathi’s connection with esports predates this announcement. Earlier in 2026, he reached the final of India Rising, the qualifier for the chess competition at the Esports World Cup. His run ended with a loss to Dutch grandmaster Benjamin Bok in an Armageddon tiebreak, but the appearance underlined his involvement in chess events connected to the esports ecosystem.

Team Apex Gaming’s decision also follows a wider trend of esports organisations creating chess rosters. S8UL has previously signed Indian grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, while Arjun Erigaisi represents Gen.G. Those deals have helped bring elite chess players into organisations traditionally associated with esports and digital gaming audiences.

For Gujrathi, joining Team Apex Gaming adds an esports organisation to a career built around high-level chess competition and online engagement. For the organisation, it is an entry into chess with a player whose record includes a Grand Swiss title, Candidates qualification and two Chess Olympiad team gold medals. The next practical step will be confirmation of how and when Gujrathi will represent the TAG banner in competition or content.