Bobby Fischer captured the world's imagination when he took the world chess championship from Boris Spassky in their epic 1972 encounter.

But since then chess as a spectator sport has struggled to tap into the game's commercial possibilities.

Now one of the world's biggest and most recognisable cyber security firms has stepped in to change that.

Kaspersky Lab, the Russian anti-malware expert, announced on Monday it is to sponsor Fide’s flagship 2017 Grand Prix series.

The new signing will be considered a major cup for World Chess by Agon, the commercial arm of the game’s governing body.