Aravindh becomes first Indian to qualify for Esports World Cup chess event
Aravindh Chithambaram won the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta to reach the Esports World Cup 2026 chess main event. The result made him the first Indian to secure a place in the tournament and gave S8UL its third title entry.
- May 20, 2026,
- Updated May 20, 2026, 8:45 AM IST
Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has secured qualification for the chess main event at the Esports World Cup 2026 after winning the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta. The victory also confirmed S8UL Esports’s entry into its third title at the tournament.
Aravindh became the first Indian player to officially qualify for the Esports World Cup chess event after coming through a challenging format featuring rapid games and Armageddon tiebreakers. The qualifier included a double-elimination group stage followed by playoffs, with all matches played at a 10-minute time control without increment.
The 26-year-old advanced from Group B with wins over Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk and Christopher Woo before edging past Woo 2-1 in the upper bracket semifinals. He later defeated Alexey Sarana by the same margin to book a place in the grand final.
Sarana initially took control of the final by winning the opening two games from the lower bracket side. Aravindh, however, fought back under pressure and sealed the contest in the Armageddon decider to clinch the title.
The win earned Aravindh USD 15,000 in prize money and a spot among the eight players already confirmed for the Esports World Cup chess main event, scheduled from August 11 to 15. The tournament will feature a prize pool of USD 1.5 million.
With the qualification, S8UL has now secured places in three Esports World Cup titles after previously qualifying in Fortnite and Honor of Kings. Fellow Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M are also still in contention for qualification through other pathways.
S8UL CEO Animesh Agarwal said Aravindh’s qualification was a major moment for Indian chess and reflected the organisation’s focus on creating opportunities for Indian talent at international events.
The Esports World Cup 2026 will be held from July 6 to August 23 and is expected to feature more than 2,000 players from over 100 countries competing across multiple titles.