Team falcons

Esports World Cup: India’s challenge in the Chess tournament at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 came to an end in the quarterfinals, with Gen.G Esports’ Arjun Erigaisi and S8UL Esports’ Nihal Sarin both losing their respective matches and finishing among the tournament’s top eight players.

Erigaisi was edged out by Team Falcons’ Hikaru Nakamura in an armageddon tiebreaker, while defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid defeated Sarin 2.5-0.5.

Erigaisi’s quarterfinal against Nakamura was a repeat of last year’s third-place match, which the American Grandmaster had won. The two players were closely matched throughout the regulation games, with all four ending in draws as neither could establish an advantage. The deadlock sent the match to Armageddon, where Hikaru, playing with the White pieces, sealed the victory with a checkmate to secure his place in the semifinals.