Mumbai, May 24 -- India's leading Grandmasters including world number 11 Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani and Karthikeyan Murali have advanced to the closed playoffs, in the Top 8 stage of the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers alongside emerging Indian talent M Pranesh, who secured qualification through the titled qualifiers route after narrowly missing out in the Indian qualifiers.

The qualifiers are part of the India Rising: Road to EWC initiative, launched by JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation to create a competitive pathway for Indian esports and chess talent, as per a press release.

Among the notable stories to emerge from the qualifiers was Indian Grandmaster M Pranesh. Coming from a modest background and ...