Paris, Aug. 14 -- S8UL Esports' Nihal Sarin and Gen.G Esports' Arjun Erigaisi have advanced to the quarterfinals of Chess at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after progressing through the lower bracket (LB) on the final day of the group stage.

Both Grandmasters, who also reached the playoffs at last year's edition, will now lead India's challenge in the quarter-finals on August 14 as they vie for the title and a share of the $1.5 million (Rs 14.3 crore) prize pool, according to a release.

Nihal began his day with a closely contested LB matchup against Team Nemesis' Wei Yi. After the opening two games ended in draws, the Indian Grandmaster held his nerve in the Armageddon tiebreaker to secure victory and advance to the LB decider.

He th...