Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi advanced to the Esports World Cup 2026 chess quarterfinals, strengthening India’s title hopes and competing for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool.
Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi have advanced to the quarterfinals of the chess competition at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after successfully progressing through the lower bracket on the final day of the group stage. Their qualification has strengthened India’s challenge in the tournament as the competition moves into the high-stakes playoff phase.
Representing S8UL Esports, Nihal Sarin once again produced a composed performance in a demanding group-stage campaign. Gen.G Esports’ Arjun Erigaisi also secured his place among the top eight after overcoming fellow Indian Grandmaster and S8UL teammate Pranesh M in the lower-bracket decider.
Both Sarin and Erigaisi reached the playoffs at last year’s Esports World Cup and will now attempt to go further in the 2026 edition. The chess competition offers a $1.5 million prize pool, equivalent to approximately INR 14.3 crore, adding further significance to the quarterfinal stage.
Nihal Sarin began his final day with a closely fought lower-bracket encounter against Team Nemesis’ Wei Yi. The opening two games ended in draws, forcing the match into an Armageddon tiebreaker. Sarin maintained his composure under pressure and secured the decisive victory to move into the lower-bracket decider.
He then faced Weibo Gaming’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda. After drawing the opening game, Sarin won the second contest to seal his qualification for the playoffs. His latest achievement marks another impressive Esports World Cup campaign for the Indian Grandmaster, who also reached the quarterfinals in last year’s tournament before losing to eventual champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid.
Reflecting on his qualification, Sarin expressed his satisfaction at reaching the top eight once again. He highlighted the importance of remaining sharp in the tournament’s short format and said that even a single victory could have a major psychological impact. Sarin added that he was relieved to make it through and hoped to perform strongly in the next stage.
S8UL teammate Pranesh M also remained in contention after defeating Team MGD1’s Benjamin Bok in a hard-fought lower-bracket match. Pranesh won the first game and came close to finishing the contest in the second, but Bok fought back to force an Armageddon tiebreaker. The tiebreaker ended in a draw, with Pranesh progressing to the next round while playing with the Black pieces.
However, Pranesh’s campaign ended in the all-Indian lower-bracket decider against Arjun Erigaisi. Erigaisi delivered a convincing 2-0 victory to secure his place in the quarterfinals and complete Group A’s playoff lineup.
Erigaisi, who finished fourth at last year’s Esports World Cup, will now look to improve on that result. Following his victory, he acknowledged the strength of the remaining field, which includes several of the world’s leading players, while emphasizing his intention to focus on delivering his best performance.
In Group B, Aurora Gaming’s Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Virtus.pro’s Andrey Esipenko 1.5-0.5 and moved into a lower-bracket decider against AG.AL’s Denis Lazavik. Team Stallions’ Sina Movahed also progressed after defeating Fnatic’s Alexey Sarana in an Armageddon tiebreaker. Movahed will next face GodLike Esports’ Hans Moke Niemann.
The winners of those two lower-bracket deciders will complete the eight-player quarterfinal lineup alongside Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, defending champion Magnus Carlsen, Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura, and Natus Vincere’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
The Esports World Cup chess playoffs will be played on Friday and Saturday in a single-elimination format. The quarterfinals will consist of four games, while the semifinals will feature six games. The grand final will be decided through a best-of-three sets format, with the first two sets comprising four games each and a potential third set consisting of two games.
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With Sarin and Erigaisi now among the top eight, India’s hopes of securing the EWC 2026 chess title remain alive as the tournament enters its decisive playoff stage.
