Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Pranesh M, representing esports and gaming content powerhouse S8UL Esports, will be joined by Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who will compete under the banner of Gen.G Esports. Together, they will take on the world\u2019s best players for a share of the USD 1.5 million (INR 14.2 crore) prize pool.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Nihal, Pranesh and Arjun secured direct qualification to the Group Stage through their performances in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) 2025-2026, while Aravindh earned his place through DreamHack Atlanta earlier this year and will begin his campaign in the play-in stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
This marks a significant milestone for Indian chess at the EWC. Last year, Nihal and Arjun were the only Indians to compete in the tournament. Nihal, who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), reached the quarterfinals, while Arjun, who qualified through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT), finished fourth. This year, the number of Indian participants has doubled, making it the country\u2019s largest-ever contingent at the event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Returning after its debut last year, the chess competition at EWC 2026 will feature a revised two-phase format. The first phase, new to the tournament, is the play-in stage, featuring nine players who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and DreamHack Atlanta. These players will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with each match consisting of two games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The top performers from the play-in stage will advance to the group stage, where they will join players who qualified directly through the CCT and other qualifying events. The 16-player Group Stage will be divided into two groups of eight, with each group following a double-elimination format featuring two-game matches. The top four players from each group will advance to the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The playoffs will follow a single-elimination format, with four-game matches in the quarterfinals and six-game matches in the semifinals. The winner of this year's tournament will be decided after a gruelling Grand Final contested over three sets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The top performers from the play-in stage will advance to the group stage, where they will join players who qualified directly through the CCT and other qualifying events. The 16-player Group Stage will be divided into two groups of eight, with each group following a double-elimination format featuring two-game matches. The top four players from each group will advance to the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With four Indian Grandmasters in contention, the country will look to build on last year\u2019s breakthrough and challenge for its first-ever EWC Chess title.<\/p>\r\n\r\n