New Delhi: Indian Grandmaster Arvind Chithambaram became the first Indian player to qualify for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 chess main event after winning the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta.The 26-year-old produced a composed display in the high-pressure rapid format, where matches consist of two 10-minute games without overtime, followed by armageddon tie-breakers if needed. The tournament featured two double-elimination groups, with the top four players in each group advancing to the playoffs. Arvind advanced from Group B after victories against Kyler Rance, Justin Liang, Oleksandr Bortnik and Christopher Wu. He then defeated Wu 2–1 in the upper bracket semifinals, winning the match in an Armageddon game after two draws. In the upper bracket final, Arvind defeated Alexey Sarana by the same margin to make it to the grand final.The summit clash turned into a dramatic affair after Serna won the opening two games coming from the lower bracket. However, Arvind bounced back under pressure and won the decisive Armageddon game to seal the title.With the victory, Arvind bagged USD 15,000 (roughly Rs. 1.4 lakh) and one of the eight confirmed spots for the EWC 2026 Chess Main Event from August 11 to 15 with a prize pool of USD 1.5 million.“Qualifying for the Esports World Cup this year is a very proud and exciting moment for me, especially with so many top players and organizations from around the world taking part in the event. This particular format leaves little room for error, as every decision matters when you are playing 10-minute games with no extras against some of the strongest players in the world,” Arvind said after the victory.“I am also very grateful to the S8UL team for their continued support and belief in me over the past year. Their approach to chess and nurturing Indian talent has been incredibly encouraging, and I look forward to representing the organization and giving my best at the main event.”
4 Eligible Players of DreamHack Atlanta
- Arvind Chithambaram
- Alexey Sarana
- Andre Espinco
- Lim Lee
He joins the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Ferozja, Denis Lazavic, and Jan Krzysztof Duda. Esports World Cup 2026 has 21 slots.Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M are also in the fray to qualify through the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard and Last Chance Qualifiers.
