Renowned ex-footballer Gerard Piqué now part-owner of Fyers American Gambits
A famous center-back for FC Barcelona, a 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 champion, and one of the sport’s most restless entrepreneurs, is now a stakeholder in a chess franchise. Ahead of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4 in Bengaluru (September 3–13, 2026), Gerard Piqué has joined the board of the Fires American Gambits as a strategic shareholder, teaming up with former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin in the ownership group. This is one of the biggest crossovers between football and the 64 squares that chess has ever seen. | Image: A press conference was held in Bengaluru to announce the partnership.
On August 17, at an event in Bengaluru, the Fires American Gambits unveiled Gerard Piqué as the franchise’s strategic shareholder. Three weeks before the Global Chess League returns to India, the team has added a name that needs no introduction in any football-watching household in the world.
This is no jersey sponsorship or ambassadorial photo-op. Piqué comes in as a part-owner, and he brings with him something the chess world has very little of: a decade of hands-on experience in building sports properties from the ground up, taking them global, and turning fans into communities. The former FC Barcelona player said:
Chess has long fascinated me because of its depth, its global appeal, and the incredible mental strength it demands.
In that sense, the Gambits are already an unusual franchise. Co-owned by Ravichandran Ashwin—one of the sharpest cricketing minds of his generation and a genuine chess enthusiast—and backed by technology-first brokerage Fires as the title sponsor, the team has consistently positioned itself as the league’s tech-and-data franchise. Adding a Champions League and World Cup winner to that mix is a statement of intent: the American Gambits don’t just want to win the Global Chess League; they want to become a sports brand that exists 365 days a year.
For most of its history, the sport has attracted patrons—kings, industrialists, philanthropists. It has rarely attracted investors from other sports who look at the chessboard and see a business. That is precisely what happened on Monday in Bengaluru.
Gambits’ CEO and co-owner, Prachura PP, said:
Gerard Piqué’s investment is a historic moment for our franchise and, we believe, for the growth of chess as a global sport. Gerard understands what it takes to build a global sports property that combines elite competition with compelling storytelling, passionate communities, and a strong connection with fans. His belief in our vision is incredibly meaningful as we look to build a franchise that can represent the future of chess.
