India's Journey at EWC Chess Concludes in Quarterfinals

India's Challenge at EWC Chess Ends in Quarterfinals

The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 saw India's participation conclude in the quarterfinals, with Arjun Erigaisi from Gen.G Esports and Nihal Sarin of S8UL Esports both securing spots among the top eight competitors.

In a gripping armageddon tiebreaker, Arjun was narrowly defeated by Hikaru Nakamura from Team Falcons, while defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid triumphed over Nihal with a score of 2.5-0.5, as reported by S8UL.

Arjun's match against Hikaru mirrored last year's third-place showdown, which the American Grandmaster had previously won.

Throughout the regulation games, both players were evenly matched, resulting in four draws that led to an armageddon tiebreaker. In this decisive round, Hikaru, playing as White, achieved victory with a checkmate, advancing to the semifinals.

Nihal's quarterfinal match against Magnus was a rematch of last year's knockout round, which Magnus had won. This time, Magnus won the first two games, while the third ended in a draw, securing a 2.5-0.5 victory and a place in the semifinals.

Semifinals Set After Intense Quarterfinals

In the other quarterfinal matches, Denis Lazavik from AG.AL defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Natus Vincere in an armageddon tiebreaker, while Alireza Firouzja from Team Falcons overcame Hans Moke Niemann of GodLike Esports with a score of 2.5-1.5.

Hikaru will now face Lazavik in the semifinals, while Magnus is set to compete against Alireza in a rematch of last year's final.

Indian Contingent Secures Substantial Prize Money

Both Arjun and Nihal's impressive finishes in the top eight earned them each $75,000 (approximately INR 71.5 lakh) in prize money. This year, India sent its largest chess contingent to the EWC.

Pranesh M from S8UL Esports, who exited the competition earlier in the Lower Bracket, secured $55,000 (around INR 52.5 lakh), while his teammate Aravindh Chithambaram, eliminated in the Play-Ins, took home $23,000 (approximately INR 21.9 lakh) from the total prize pool of $1.5 million (about INR 14.3 crore).

Tournament Format Moving Forward

The playoffs will proceed with a single-elimination format, featuring six games in the semifinals. The grand final will be played in a best-of-three-sets format, with the first two sets comprising four games each, and a potential third set consisting of two games.