Najdorf Esports: A New Org, Some Familiar Faces

Najdorf Esports is a new Overwatch organization in the Pacific region. Ahead of OWCS Pacific Stage 2 we acquired the Rankers roster. Our first lineup heads into the stage with familiar faces from the Rankers Stage 1 squad, joined by new signings.

This is not a rebrand of Rankers. Najdorf Esports is a separate organization with its own ownership and identity. The Stage 2 roster carries forward several players from the Rankers Stage 1 lineup, joined by new tank and support signings and a team manager. The coaching staff continues from Stage 1.

The name was chosen on purpose. The Najdorf Variation is one of the most studied opening lines in chess. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3, Black plays a small pawn move to a6 and waits. From this quiet position, the game opens into some of the sharpest attacking play in the sport. Bobby Fischer favored the opening. Garry Kasparov used it twice to win the world championship against Anatoly Karpov. That is the style we want our players to bring to the LAN: patient preparation, decisive execution.

OWCS Pacific Stage 2’s main event runs from June 4 through July 9. The match schedule, roster announcements, and watch-party plans will be posted here and on our social channels in the weeks ahead.

For partnerships, press, or anything else, reach us at owner@najdorfesports.gg.

GLHF.

The Najdorf Esports team