EWC 2026 Group Stage Kicks Off in Paris

The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 kicks off its chess Group Stage today in Paris, featuring 16 players competing for the title and a share of $1.5 million prize money. Group A includes Arjun Erigaisi (Gen.G Esports), Nihal Sarin (S8UL Esports), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Natus Vincere), Pranesh M (S8UL Esports), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Weibo Gaming), Benjamin Bok (Team MGD1), Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons), and Wei Yi (Team Nemesis). The opening day presents a fully Indian matchup between Erigaisi and Sarin, while Pranesh M takes on Abdusattorov. Duda will face Bok, and Firouzja will compete against Wei Yi.

Group B and Title Defense

Group B features defending champion Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid), Andrey Esipenko (Virtus.pro), Hikaru Nakamura (Team Falcons), Alexey Sarana (Fnatic), Hans Moke Niemann (GodLike Esports), Ian Nepomniachtchi (Aurora Gaming), Denis Lazavik (AG.AL), and Sina Movahed (Team Stallions). Carlsen begins his title defense against Esipenko, with Nakamura facing Sarana, Niemann taking on Nepomniachtchi, and Lazavik up against Movahed.

Group Stage Format

The Group Stage will run from August 12 to August 13. Matches consist of two games with a time control of 10 minutes without increment, using Armageddon as a tiebreak if needed. Players compete in double elimination brackets, and the top four from each group advance to the Playoffs.

Playoffs Details

The Playoffs will take place from August 14 to August 15 in a single elimination format. The quarterfinals consist of four games, the semifinals feature six games, and the Grand Final will be played in the best of three sets (two sets of four games, with a possible third set of two games).

Exits and Prizes

It is worth mentioning that Aravindh Chithambaram from S8UL Esports was eliminated during the qualifiers and earned $23,000.