India's Chess Stars Gear Up for Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh

India's Chess Team Finalized for ENC 2026

Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], June 15: The Indian Chess team for the upcoming Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 has been finalized, with Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha securing his spot by winning the regional qualifier. He will join Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, who received a direct invitation via the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard, representing India at this prestigious global esports event in Riyadh from November 2 to November 29.

The ENC 2026 will showcase 128 players competing for a substantial prize pool of USD 600,000 (approximately Rs 5.7 crore). The tournament kicks off on November 2 and culminates with the playoff finals on November 8. The initial phase will see all participants engage in a round-robin format across 16 groups of eight players each, followed by a single-elimination playoff for the top 64 players.

Out of the 128 competitors, 64 players have been granted direct invitations based on the official CCT rankings, ensuring a diverse representation from 64 nations and territories. Notable chess figures confirmed for the ENC 2026 include Norway's Magnus Carlsen, Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda, France's Alireza Firouzja, and the USA's Hikaru Nakamura. Additionally, Switzerland's Alexandra Kosteniuk and Estonia's Mai Narva will be the first women to officially qualify for this event. The remaining 61 players earned their spots through regional qualifiers organized by Chess.com, while three players were awarded wildcard entries.

Each country can have up to two representatives in the finals. If a player qualifies through the official rankings, another player from the same country can still qualify via regional competitions. With Nihal already qualified through the CCT Leaderboard, only one more Indian player could advance through the regional route.

The regional qualifier for the Middle East, India, and Central Asia commenced with an open nine-round Swiss stage, where verified titled players competed under a 10+0 rapid time control. The top eight players progressed to a double-elimination knockout bracket, from which four secured their spots in the ENC 2026.

Mitrabha stood out among the Indian competitors, finishing the Swiss stage as the only unbeaten player with six wins and three draws from nine rounds. His performance earned him a place in the Upper Bracket quarterfinals, where he triumphed over Syria's Malek Koniahli and then defeated Iran's Artin Ashraf in the semifinals to qualify for the ENC 2026 Finals.

The 24-year-old Grandmaster is entering ENC 2026 with significant momentum, having recently won gold at the Commonwealth Chess Championship earlier this year, adding to his title from the 2023-24 season.

Commenting on his qualification, Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha stated, “The regional qualifier was tough from beginning to end. Chess is becoming an increasingly vital part of the global esports landscape, and the Esports Nations Cup exemplifies that growth. This tournament will gather some of the strongest players worldwide, so preparation will be crucial. In the coming months, I will focus on refining various aspects of my game to ensure I perform at my best when the competition starts.”

Meanwhile, India's preparations for ENC 2026 are ongoing across various titles. NODWIN Gaming, the National Team Partner (NTP) for the tournament, has announced the following national team rosters:

– DOTA 2: Krish Gupta (Krish), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Dhvanit Singh Negi (Negi), Manav Kunte (MnZ), and Yash Thakur (xand3r_^). Moin Ejaz (NO_Chanc3) will act as coach.

This roster will compete in the regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1, with two teams aiming for qualification.

– MOBA Legends: 5v5!: Gaithanlung Gonmei (Kyle), Susanta Biswas (Kimyy), Abhijeet Katkar (Asuna), Rithik Sohal (Romcom), Evancius A. Sangma (Vann), Mohammad Saad (Apex), and Jay Mehta (J). Steve Vitug (Dale) will serve as coach.

India currently ranks 11th in the MOBA Legends: 5v5! ENC rankings and is still in the running for a direct invitation. If they do not receive one, the team will participate in regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.

– Rocket League: Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse). Nirjhar Mitra (jocse) will be the coach.

This team will compete in the regional qualifiers from July 17-19, where three teams from Asia will qualify for the ENC 2026 Finals.