NEW DELHI: 20-year-old Javakhir Sundarov’s memories of outdoing his opponents at the Candidates tournament were still alive when 30-year-old Russian grandmaster Daniil Dubov went 3-0 against him, a stunning feat in the final week of his online qualification lying on Chipthcom. For the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, which is scheduled to be held from August 11 to August 15, 2026. The defeat effectively ended Sandrov’s run in the tournament without much resistance. On Sunday, meanwhile, it was business as usual. Magnus Carlsenas the five-time world champion and reigning Esports World Cup winner defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda, picked up the tile, and continued his dominant form with ease.On the other hand, Belarusian Grandmaster Denis Lazavic won the third position by defeating India’s Nihal Sarin.
With the top three finishers from the tournament qualifying for the Esports World Cup later this year, it felt like a huge missed opportunity for Saran. However, since Denis Lazavec has already qualified through Speed Chess Championship 2025 and Magnus Carlsen is the defending champion, one can expect their places to move down.But it is not so. Unused spots in this event do not go to players who finish fourth or fifth, which is unfortunate for Sarin. Instead, those places return to the CCT 2025-26 circuit points pool.So far, Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Weibo Gaming), Denis Lazavik (All Gamers), and Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons) have officially punched their tickets.Although Nihal Sarin has 100 points from this Open and is likely to make the cut through the circuit standings, the headline is that, till this moment, no Indian has officially qualified for the premier esports event of the year.
The frustrating math behind the ability
Esports World Cup 2026 has 21 slots. This includes the reigning champion, the top three from the Speed Chess Championship, the top three from the Chess.com Open, four players from Road to EWC – DreamHack Atlanta, and the remaining players via CCT circuit points, followed by last chance qualifiers.Because elite players like Carlson and Lazavec dominate multiple qualifying events, the extra spots go into the circuit points standings.This has put a lot of pressure on Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigisi, and Praganandha, who played in the inaugural edition of the Esports World Cup last year, to maintain high consistency in the online season this time as well.Speaking to TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interaction, Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports Foundation, said that the system was designed for elites.“Half of the field is made up entirely of players qualified through the CCT rankings to ensure equal representation and the presence of many of the best chess players in the world,” he said.Road to Esports Chess World Cup 2026
- EWC 2025 Champion – Automatic spot for winner Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid)
- Speed Chess Championship 2025 – Qualifiers include Alireza Ferozja (Team Falcons) and Denis Lazavic (All Gamers) (Carlson has already qualified).
- Chess.com Open 2026 – Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Weibo Gaming) qualifies (Carlsen, Lazavik already qualified)
- Road to EWC – DreamHack Atlanta – 4 spots available.
- Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) – 4 final spots up for grabs
- CCT 2025–26 Circuit Points – 9 players qualify based on season-long ranking
Nihal Sarin, India’s brightest prospect on the scene
Nihal Sarin is India’s brightest hope in this digital frontier. For him, the shift from a physical board to a digital interface is comforting.“Some players feel more comfortable in the comfort of their home, in their setup with their mouse in front of their laptop,” Saran told Times of India.com during an exclusive interview. “I like it too. Maybe from the comfort of your own home. It’s just a different feeling.”
Nihal Sarin (Special Arrangements)
Saran’s involvement with Team S8UL, one of India’s most prominent esports organizations, is key as Chess seeks to make itself more prominent in the electronic gaming scene.“It was a great honor to be approached by Team Soul,” Saran admitted. “They make you feel at home, which is critical to that bond. Ideally, the team should be like a family.”
Introducing the Esports Nation Cup (ENC).
While the Individual World Cup is about elite club representation, chess in esports has gone a step further this year by introducing the Esports Nations Cup (ENC).This newly introduced format allows top players from up to 64 countries to compete. If India fails to field more than one player in the individual World Cup, the ENC offers a guaranteed stage for the Indian representative to wear the national colours.According to Scheuermann, this was a strategic move to capitalize on the universal appeal of chess.“Almost every country understands this. In the ENC format, this becomes an advantage, allowing us to introduce nation-based competition through a title that already has global recognition.”
Why 10+0 Rapid Games?
The Esports World Cup and the upcoming Esports Nations Cup (ENC) have settled on a rapid 10+0 format (ten minutes per player with no increments).To traditionalists, the lack of increments (adding extra seconds to each move) sounds like innovation, but to the world of esports, it’s the secret sauce.“The rapid 10+0 format is perfect for delivering competitive chess to esports audiences,” Scheuermann revealed. “It introduces time pressure which leads to more decisive moments. You naturally see more tension, more mistakes and more twists.”
Without enhancement, online is clearly better than over the board.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin
Saran agrees that without an added safety net, online chess becomes a great spectator sport compared to its over-the-board counterpart.“Without any additions, online is clearly better than over-the-board,” Sarin explained. “Above the board, it can honestly be a complete circus. Online, you don’t have to cut to pieces, you can go at your own pace, and you can go ahead. Timed battles give that extra element of gaming that spectators love to see. There’s a lot of drama.”
‘This format could be the future’: Nihal Sarin
The integration of chess into the Sports World Cup in Riyadh has fundamentally changed the broadcast experience. Players now wear noise-canceling headphones, sit in high-tech arenas, and deal with a live audience monitoring the evil bar in real time.“I think this format, this esports format, is making chess more interesting,” Saran observed.Evolution is already happening. From winning games of Dubbo to ugly but thrilling moments lying in bed where mouse speed dictates the winner, chess has found its digital soul.While the leaderboard currently lacks an Indian name for the 2026 World Cup, the upcoming CCT circuit and last-chance qualifiers offer ample opportunities for redemption.Also read: Formation of India’s 95th GM: Arunayak Ghosh, from next tournament fees to parental relief“Some players naturally feel more comfortable with a mouse…some people find it too comfortable. I think this format could be in the future where the audience can see players’ expressions up close, listen to commentary, and watch them fight on screen. It’s a different feeling,” Saran sighed.
