3 min readMay 18, 2026 03:30 PM IST
Aravindh Chithambaram became the first Indian grandmaster to secure a spot in the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after he emerged victorious in the Road to EWC qualifier held at DreamHack Atlanta.
Representing Mumbai-based S8UL, Aravindh advanced to the Upper Bracket (UB) semifinals from Group B after registering victories over Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk, and Christopher Woo.
Alongside Aravindh, fellow S8UL Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M also remain in contention to qualify for the EWC 2026 Chess event. A total of nine players will qualify through the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard, where Nihal is currently in a qualifying position. Additionally, four players will secure qualification through the Last Chance Qualifiers closer to the tournament, while one final slot will be awarded through the India Rising event, scheduled to conclude on July 5.
In the UB semifinals, Aravindh once again faced Woo and defeated him 2-1 after the opening two games ended in draws, clinching victory in the Armageddon game. He followed it up with another 2-1 win over Alexey Sarana in the UB Final to secure his place in the grand final, where he once again faced Sarana. The grand final was played in a double-match format, where a Lower Bracket (LB) win triggered a single Armageddon decider if required. After Sarana won the opening two games of the final from the LB side, Aravindh showcased immense composure under pressure, fighting back to win the Armageddon decider and come out on top in the qualifiers.
“This particular format leaves very little room for error, as every decision matters when you are playing 10-minute games without increment against some of the strongest players in the world. I am also very grateful to the team at S8UL for their consistent support and belief in me since last year. Their approach towards chess and nurturing Indian talent has been incredibly encouraging, and I am looking forward to representing the organization and giving my best at the main event,” Aravindh said.
The 26-year-old grandmaster from Chennai took home $15,000 (approximately Rs 14 lakh) in prize money beside a spot among the eight players who have officially qualified for the EWC 2026 chess main event, set to take place from August 11 to 15 with an overall prize pool of $1.5 million (approx Rs 14 crore).
“One of the things we’ve consistently focused on at S8UL is creating opportunities for Indian talent to compete and succeed on the biggest global stages. Aravindh Chithambaram qualifying for the Esports World Cup is a huge moment, not just for us as an organization, but for Indian chess overall. The level of competition and pressure in this format is extremely high, which makes this achievement even more special. We’ve always believed India has the talent to stand alongside the very best in the world, and seeing Aravindh become the first Indian to qualify really reinforces that belief,” commented Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports.
