Paris, Aug. 12 -- The group stage of Chess at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 gets underway on Wednesday, with 16 of the world's leading players beginning their campaigns for the title and a share of the $1.5 million (Rs 14.3 crore) prize pool.

In Group A, India's only Chess representatives at EWC 2025, Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, will take on each other in a repeat of last year's Group Stage opener, while another Indian Grandmaster, Pranesh M, will begin his campaign against Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov, according to a press release from EWC.

Elsewhere, Polish Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda will face Benjamin Bok, who qualified through the India Rising qualifier. EWC 2025 runner-up Alireza Firouzja will take on ...