NEW DELHI: Chess is officially becoming a major part of the esports world as the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has confirmed that chess will be one of the 16 competitive titles at the first ever Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC). The event will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to November 29, 2026.This marks a big step for chess as more countries and new players get a chance to compete on the global esports scene.
When and how will this happen?
The chess tournament will last for one week, from November 2 to November 8, 2026.The competition will take place as follows:
- 128 players will compete in the tournament.
- First, they will be divided into 16 groups of 8 players each.
- The top 4 players from each group advance to the next round.
Then:
- 64 players will enter the elimination part of the playoffs.
- The opening matches will be best of two games, while the quarterfinals and later rounds will be best of four games.
- If the players are tied, Armageddon games (special draw format) will decide the winner.
- All games will use a quick 10+0 time control, meaning each player has 10 minutes with no added turn time.
How will players qualify?
A total of 128 players from different nations will compete. Where they come from:
- 64 players will be invited directly based on the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings.
- 56 players qualify through online regional tournaments.
- 8 players will receive wild card invitations.
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Only one player from each country can get a direct invite through the leaderboard. If a country does not have a ranked player, it can still qualify up to two players through regional qualifiers.The deadline for evaluation-based invitations is 26 May 2026.Regional qualificationRegional qualification will take place:
- 6-7 June 2026
- 13-14 June 2026
Each region will send 8 players to the main tournament. Regions include:
- North America
- South America
- Africa
- western europe
- Eastern Europe
- Middle East + India + Central Asia
- East Asia + Southeast Asia + Oceania
These qualifiers will be run by Chess(dot)com.Chess joined the 2025 World Esports Championship and became an instant fan favorite. It showed how the world’s oldest strategy game is finding a new audience in the digital age.At the 2025 event, Magnus Carlsen won the first Esports World Cup chess title for Team Liquid. 20 countries were represented in the main competition and qualifiers.India’s top ranked player Arjun Erigaisi shared his excitement about chess becoming an esports: “Playing for Gen.G at the Esports World Cup was a great experience for me. The energy there was amazing and unlike any chess tournament I’ve played before. It’s really exciting to see chess becoming part of the esports world and reaching so many new people who are looking forward to the Esports Cup. to compete again.”
