Chess Super GM Anish Giri Joins BASILISK, Science's Esports Team

by Sagar Shah - 25/07/2026

The world of chess has another blockbuster move. World No. 8 Anish Giri has joined BASILISK, where he will team up with Vincent Keymer to form one of the strongest duos in competitive chess. Giri is expected to make his first appearance for the organization at the upcoming Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz.

FIDE World No.8 joins GM Vincent Keymer to solidify BASILISK as a heavyweight in the global chess ecosystem

New York, NY, July 23, 2026 - BASILISK, the global esports organization built to champion science, today announced the signing of chess grandmaster Anish Giri. Currently ranked No. 8 in the FIDE world standings, Giri joins fellow grandmaster Vincent Keymer to give BASILISK two of the world’s top ten players and one of the strongest rosters in competitive chess. Giri will make his first official competitive appearance for the team on the Grand Chess Tour beginning with the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, scheduled to take place from July 31 to August 7, 2026.

A fixture at the top of world chess for more than a decade, Giri is a five-time Dutch national champion, winner of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, and runner-up of the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the event that decides who challenges for the world title. He brings a global following of more than 700,000 fans and coverage that regularly extends beyond chess into mainstream news.

Vincent Keymer and Anish Giri are now part of team Basilisk

“The idea of taking chess seriously, of it being more than just a game, of it being a science, is an idea that is very dear to me,” said Anish Giri. “Often my preparation resembles scientific work, and that connection between science, chess, and esports is what makes BASILISK a perfect fit. I am excited to be joining a team that brings these worlds together."

Chess and science have been intertwined for over a century, and for Giri, the son of two engineers, the connection is personal.

Both of Anish's parents are scientists!

“The overlap between chess and science is obvious,” said Christopher Bothur, CEO and co-founder of BASILISK. “The game rewards systematic study and offers a controlled, data-rich environment for experimentation. Chess’s impact is global, cultural, and directly tied to science. From Steinitz and Lasker, to Turing's Turochamp, to IBM’s Deep Blue and Google's AlphaZero, chess has inspired generations of scientific thinking and discovery.”

“Anish brings a rare combination of competitive drive and an orientation towards continuous learning,” Bothur added. “We are thrilled to have him join BASILISK.”

The signing sits at the center of BASILISK's mission to give fans of science a home in gaming. BASILISK's community of more than five million fans is made up of students, engineers, scientists, and science enthusiasts who follow the world's hardest games the way other fans follow football, and BASILISK is their team. Pairing Giri with Keymer gives this community a chess roster to rally behind all year, including classical OTB circuits, online bullet and rapid, and community events like Bulldogs vs. BASILISK, a simultaneous exhibition featuring Vincent Keymer at Yale University.

Anish Giri on joining Basilisk speaks to Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

About BASILISK

BASILISK is science's esports team. It dedicates its competition, content, and clout to giving fans of science a home in gaming. The organization fields champions in the world's smartest games, including chess GM Vincent Keymer (FIDE World No. 5), StarCraft 2 world champions Serral and Reynor, and nine-time Evo champion Justin Wong. Its players have won three world championships and numerous premier tournaments wearing Science Victory on their jerseys.

With award-winning science communicator Kyle Hill (MythBusters: The Search) and acclaimed Magic: The Gathering creator Rhystic Studies, the mission reaches millions. BASILISK supports scientific institutions and initiatives, including partnerships with The Planetary Society and Caltech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter.

Founded in 2020 by Christopher Bothur and Hans Kassier, BASILISK has built a community of more than five million fans, united by curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of exceptionally difficult games.