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 campaignsfor the title and a share of the $1.5 million (~INR 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.
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 Wei Yi,who secured his place through the...