NEW DELHI: The memories of 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov sweeping past his challengers in the Candidates tournament were still raw when 30-year-old Russian Grandmaster Daniil Dubov ended up scoring a 3-0 win over him, remarkably achieved while lying on his bed, last week online at the Chess.com Open, one of the qualification paths for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026.That defeat effectively ended Sindarov’s run in the tournament without much resistance. On Sunday, meanwhile, it was business as usual for Magnus Carlsen, as the five-time world champion and reigning Esports World Cup winner beat Jan-Krzysztof Duda, lifted the tile, and effortlessly continued his dominant form.On the other hand, Belarusian Grandmaster Denis Lazavik defeated India’s Nihal Sarin to finish third.
With the top three finishers from the tournament qualifying for the Esports World Cup later this year, it felt like a massive missed opportunity for Sarin. However, since Denis Lazavik had already qualified through the Speed Chess Championship 2025 and Magnus Carlsen is the defending champion, one might expect their places to pass down.But that is not the case. The unused spots from this event do not trickle down to the 4th or 5th placed players, which is unfortunate for Sarin. Instead, those spots revert to the CCT 2025-26 Circuit Points pool.As of now, Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Weibo Gaming), Denis Lazavik (All Gamers), and Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons) have officially punched their tickets.While Nihal Sarin has amassed 100 points from this Open and is likely to make the cut through the circuit standings, the headline remains that, as of this moment, no Indian has officially qualified for the premier esports event of the year.
The frustrating mathematics behind the qualification
The Esports World Cup 2026 features 21 slots. It includes the reigning champion, the top three from the Speed Chess Championship, the top three from the Chess.com Open, and 12 players through CCT Circuit Points, followed by a Last Chance Qualifier.Because elite players like Carlsen and Lazavik tend to dominate multiple qualifying events, the extra spots move to the Circuit Points standings.This places immense pressure on Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, and Praggnanandhaa, who all played the inaugural edition of the Esports World Cup last year, to maintain high consistency across the online season this time too.Speaking to TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interaction, Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at The Esports Foundation stated that the system was designed to be elite.“Half of the field is made up entirely of players qualifying through CCT rankings to ensure both equal representation and the presence of many of the best Chess players in the world,” he said.
Nihal Sarin, India’s brightest prospect in the scene
Nihal Sarin remains India’s brightest hope in this digital frontier. For him, the shift from a physical board to a digital interface is all about comfort.“Some players just feel way more comfortable in the comfort of their home, in front of their laptop in their setup with their mouse in hand,” Sarin told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive conversation. “I like it too. Maybe from the comfort of your home. It’s just a different feel.”
Nihal Sarin (Special Arrangements)
Sarin’s involvement with Team S8UL, one of India’s most prominent esports organizations, remains key as chess is trying to make itself more prominent in the electronic gaming scene.“It was a massive honor for me to be approached by Team Soul,” Sarin admitted. “They make you feel at home, which is extremely important for that bonding. Ideally, the team should become like family.”
Introduction to the Esports Nations Cup (ENC)
While the individual World Cup is about elite club representation, chess in esports has taken a step further this year by introducing the Esports Nations Cup (ENC).This newly introduced format allows the top player from up to 64 nations to compete. If India fails to land multiple players in the individual World Cup, the ENC offers a guaranteed stage for an Indian representative to wear the national colours.According to Scheuermann, this was a strategic move to leverage chess’s universal appeal.“Almost every country understands it. In the ENC format, that becomes an advantage, allowing us to introduce nation-based competition through a title that already has global recognition,” he added.
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 increment).For traditionalists, the lack of an increment (extra seconds added per move) sounds like heresy, but for the esports world, it is the secret sauce.“The Rapid 10+0 format is perfect for delivering competitive chess to the esports audience,” Scheuermann revealed. “It introduces time pressure that leads to more decisive moments. You naturally see more tension, more mistakes, and more turning points.”
Without increment, online is like clearly superior to over-the-board
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin
Sarin agrees that without the safety net of an increment, online chess becomes a superior spectator sport compared to its over-the-board counterpart.“Without increment, online is like clearly superior to over-the-board,” Sarin explained. “Over the board, it honestly can become a complete circus. Online, you don’t have to knock down pieces, you can move at your own pace, and you can pre-move. The time scrambles give that extra gaming element which spectators like to see. There’s a lot of drama.”
‘This format could be the future’: Nihal Sarin
The integration of chess into the Esports World Cup in Riyadh has fundamentally changed the broadcast experience. Players now wear noise-canceling headphones, sit in high-tech arenas, and deal with live audiences who are monitoring the eval bar in real-time.“I think this format, this esports format, is making chess even more interesting,” Sarin observed.The evolution is already happening. From Dubov winning games while lying in bed to the ugly but thrilling time scrambles 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 the Last Chance Qualifier offer plenty of opportunities for redemption.ALSO READ: The making of India’s 95th GM: Aronyak Ghosh, from chasing next tournament’s fee to parents’ relief“Some players just naturally more comfortable with the mouse… some people find it very relaxing. I think this format could be the future where the audience can watch the players’ expressions closely, listen to commentary, and see them battle it out on a screen. It’s a different feeling,” sighed Sarin.
