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Arjun and Nihal exit EWC Chess 2026 in quarterfinals
Arjun loses to Hikaru in Armageddon as Magnus defeats Nihal 2.5-0.5
MUMBAI: India’s chess run has been checkedmate short of the semis. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin both made the top eight at the Chess tournament of the Esports World Cup 2026, but neither could crack the quarterfinal barrier as India’s campaign came to an end.
Arjun, representing Gen.G Esports, was pushed all the way by Team Falcons’ Hikaru Nakamura, with all four regulation games ending in draws. The deadlock sent the match into an Armageddon tiebreaker, where Nakamura, playing White, sealed victory with a checkmate to book his place in the semi-finals.
The result also repeated last year’s third-place meeting between Arjun and Nakamura, which the American Grandmaster had won.
For S8UL Esports’ Nihal Sarin, the quarter-final brought another familiar opponent in defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid. This time, Carlsen wasted little time taking control, winning the opening two games before the third ended in a draw to complete a 2.5-0.5 victory.
Nihal had faced Carlsen in the knockout stage last year as well, with the Norwegian eventually winning after an opening draw and two consecutive victories.
The other quarter-finals saw AG.AL’s Denis Lazavik defeat Natus Vincere’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov in an Armageddon tiebreaker, while Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja beat GodLike Esports’ Hans Moke Niemann 2.5-1.5.
The semi-final line-up now pits Hikaru against Lazavik, while Magnus takes on Alireza in a rematch of last year’s final.
Despite falling short of the last four, Arjun and Nihal’s top-eight finishes earn each $75,000 (approximately Rs 71.5 lakh). They were part of India’s biggest-ever Chess contingent at the EWC.
S8UL’s Pranesh M, who was eliminated in the lower bracket a day earlier, takes home $55,000 (approximately Rs 52.5 lakh), while teammate Aravindh Chithambaram, who exited during the Play-Ins, earns $23,000 (approximately Rs 21.9 lakh).
The tournament carries a total prize pool of $1.5 million (approximately Rs 14.3 crore).
The remaining playoffs continue in a single-elimination format. The semi-finals will feature six games, while the Grand Final will be contested as a best-of-three sets match, with the first two sets containing four games each and a potential third set comprising two games.
India may be out of the title race, but with two players finishing inside the top eight and four Indians making the tournament, the country’s chess contingent has certainly made its moves count.
