Chess To Remain On Esports World Cup Roster In 2027

Chess will feature at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2027 for a third consecutive edition, with the world's leading players set to compete for the title and attempt to dethrone two-time champion Magnus Carlsen. The fourth edition of the tournament will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after this year's event was moved to Paris, primarily due to security concerns and regional instability linked to the US-Iran conflict. Chess.com will once again partner with the Esports World Cup Foundation to determine qualification pathways for EWC 2027 through an expanded Champions Chess Tour 2026-27 cycle.

India fielded its largest-ever chess contingent at EWC 2026, with four Grandmasters competing in the event.

Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram and Pranesh M represented esports organisation S8UL Esports, while Arjun Erigaisi competed for Gen.G Esports.

Both Nihal and Arjun reached the quarterfinals, highlighting India's growing presence in the global competition.

At this year's edition in Paris, 19-year-old Denis Lazavik emerged as one of the strongest challengers to Carlsen. However, the Norwegian successfully defended his crown.

Representing Team Liquid, Carlsen defeated Lazavik 2-0 in the final without dropping a single game throughout the match.

India's presence extended beyond its players, with esports organisation GodLike Esports joining S8UL Esports as an official EWC Club Partner.

GodLike was represented in the chess competition by Hans Niemann.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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