Johannes Klaebo, Norway's decorated Winter Olympian, has become a celebrity investor in Norway Chess. Klaebo, holder of a record 11 Olympic gold medals in cross-country skiing, joins footballer Erling Haaland in the chess venture.
Klaebo is part of a group that has invested an additional $10 million into Total Chess. This capital raise, advised by Arctic Securities, will fund the development of the Total Chess World Championship project. The project is a new global competition approved by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to crown a "World Combined Champion" across multiple time formats.
A pilot tournament is slated for November 10-24, with a full championship season planned for 2027. Klaebo stated, "For me, chess is an exciting long-term investment. I strongly believe in the concept, and I see that, together with many others, I can help create value in a broad and highly international sport."