Indian Chess Prodigies Sarin and Erigaisi Battle for Esports World Cup Crown

Indian chess sensations Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi have successfully fought their way into the quarterfinals of the Chess event at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris, France. Both Grandmaster secured their spots after navigating a tough lower bracket on the final day of the group stage, keeping India's hopes high for the prestigious $1.5 million prize pool. This achievement marks another strong showing for both players, who also made it to the playoffs in last year's edition of the tournament. The path to the quarterfinals was anything but easy, with Sarin overcoming formidable opponents like Wei Yi in an intense Armageddon tiebreaker and then Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Erigaisi, meanwhile, faced an all-Indian clash, defeating his compatriot Pranesh M to advance. The Esports World Cup, a major global event featuring numerous competitive games, draws the world's best talent, making every win a significant battle in this high-stakes competition where players vie for both individual glory and their club's overall standing. Now, the challenge intensifies as Sarin is set to face chess legend Magnus Carlsen, a rematch from last year's quarterfinals, while Erigaisi will take on another superstar, Hikaru Nakamura, in their respective quarterfinal matches. With the playoffs running through August 15th, all eyes will be on these young Indian prodigies as they look to build on their previous performances and potentially lift the coveted EWC trophy against some of the strongest players in the world.