Indian Chess Grandmasters Shine in EWC Qualifiers
Grandmasters Advance in EWC Chess Qualifiers
Prominent Indian Grandmasters, including world-ranked number 11 Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani, and Karthikeyan Murali, have successfully reached the closed playoffs in the Top 8 stage of the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers. They are joined by the rising star M Pranesh, who qualified through the titled qualifiers route after narrowly missing out in the Indian qualifiers. This initiative, launched by JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation, aims to foster a competitive environment for Indian esports and chess talent.
M Pranesh: A Story of Perseverance
One of the standout narratives from the qualifiers is that of M Pranesh. Hailing from a humble background and having previously depended on crowdfunding to support his chess journey, Pranesh's entry into the Top 8 exemplifies the breakthrough opportunities that the India Rising initiative seeks to provide for emerging talents in India.
Creating Opportunities for Indian Players
Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "India boasts one of the most robust chess ecosystems globally, and India Rising aims to create a more accessible pathway for Indian players to engage in international esports competitions. The qualifiers showcased a blend of elite Grandmasters and up-and-coming talents competing within the same framework. M Pranesh's journey to the playoffs illustrates the opportunities this platform can generate for aspiring Indian players. The level of engagement and competition we've witnessed highlights the depth of Indian chess and the increasing enthusiasm surrounding chess in the esports arena."
Diverse Field of Competitors
The India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers utilized a nine-round Swiss format, attracting 12 Grandmasters from both Indian and global preliminary stages, along with some of India's top emerging chess players. Notable participants included Women's Chess World Cup Champion Divya Deshmukh, V Pranav, Pranav Anand, and Aravindh Chithambaram, who competed despite having recently qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC). The global preliminaries also featured Greek Grandmaster Nikolas Theodorou, who made history by defeating reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in last year's Swiss. Other distinguished competitors included German Grandmaster Matthias Blubaum, a two-time European Champion known for his technical prowess, and Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok, recognized for his dynamic online chess presence.
Upcoming LAN Finals and EWC
The India Rising LAN Finals, set to take place in Mumbai, will offer a prize pool of ₹27.5 lakh for chess, highlighting the increasing scale and competitiveness of esports-driven chess formats in India. The closed playoffs are scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 6:30 PM IST on Chess.com, where the Top 8 players will compete online to determine the two finalists who will advance to the India Rising LAN Finals in Mumbai. The ultimate champion of the India Rising LAN finals will secure a place in the final stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, where competitors will vie for a share of the total prize pool of $1.5 million.