Paris to host Esports World Cup chess final between Carlsen and Lazavik
Carlsen and Lazavik Advance to Final
Magnus Carlsen secured his spot in the final of the 2026 Esports World Cup after a series of strong performances. Carlsen first defeated Nihal Sarin with a score of 2.5-0.5 in their quarterfinal match. He then advanced to face Alireza Firouzja in the semifinals, where he emerged victorious with a 4-1 score, securing his place in the championship match. Carlsen, the defending champion, is part of Team Liquid.
His opponent in the final will be Denis Lazavik, a 19-year-old Grandmaster. Lazavik reached the final by overcoming Nodirbek Abdusattorov with a score of 3-2 and then defeating Hikaru Nakamura 3.5-1.5. Lazavik represents AG.AL. The final matches of the Esports World Cup are scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 15, at 7 a.m. ET / 13:00 CEST / 4:30 p.m. IST.
Quarterfinal and Semifinal Highlights
The quarterfinals saw several intense matchups. In addition to Carlsen’s victory over Sarin, Nakamura, representing Team Falcons, defeated Arjun Erigaisi of Gen.G Esports. Their quarterfinal match was decided by an Armageddon tiebreak after all four regulation games ended in draws. Nakamura, playing with White in the Armageddon game, converted his advantage to secure the win and advance to the semifinals.
Another quarterfinal saw Lazavik beat Abdusattorov, who plays for Natus Vincere, in an Armageddon tiebreak. Firouzja, also from Team Falcons, secured his semifinal spot by defeating Hans Moke Niemann of GodLike Esports with a score of 2.5-1.5. These results set up the semifinal pairings where Nakamura faced Lazavik, and Carlsen met Firouzja, a repeat of last year’s final.
The format for the semifinals involved six games. The championship match will be played in a best-of-three sets format. The first two sets will each consist of four games. If a third set is required, it will feature two games to determine the champion.
Indian Campaign Concludes in Quarterfinals
India’s participation in the Chess tournament at the Esports World Cup concluded in the quarterfinals. Both Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin finished among the top eight players. Despite not reaching the semifinals, their quarterfinal appearances marked India’s best performance in the Chess event.
Both Erigaisi and Sarin will each receive USD 75,000 from the tournament’s USD 1.5 million prize pool. India’s four-player contingent also included Pranesh M of S8UL Esports, who was eliminated earlier in the Lower Bracket and earned USD 55,000. Aravindh Chithambaram, also from S8UL, exited during the Play-Ins and received USD 23,000.
Tournament Structure and Prize Pool
The 2026 Esports World Cup is being held in Paris, France, and features a substantial $1.5 million chess prize fund, with $250,000 allocated for first place. Additionally, esports teams are competing for a share of a $30 million prize fund. The tournament began with 16 players who qualified through various events, including the Champions Chess Tour, DreamHack Atlanta, India Rising, or as the defending champion, which was Carlsen.
An additional five players qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier, held from August 4-6 in Paris. The main event, running from August 11-15, included a Play-In stage to reduce the field to 16 players. This was followed by a Group Stage featuring two double-elimination groups, which further narrowed the field to eight competitors. These eight players then proceeded to the Playoffs, a single-elimination knockout bracket to determine the champion. All games in the tournament are played with a time control of 10 minutes, with no increment.
Source: chess.com
Priya Menon 