New Delhi: The race for a place at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris through the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers has reached a blockbuster finish between two established Grandmasters.India’s Vidit Gujrathi takes on Benjamin Bok of the Netherlands. Both have booked their place in the LAN Finals in Mumbai after going through a field of chess with some of the biggest names in the game. The winner of Saturday’s showdown will earn a coveted spot in the EWC 2026 finals, which will feature a total of 14 players. Indian Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi have qualified for the EWC main event. On the way to the summit, Vidit beat M Pranesh and Raunak Sadhwani to seal his place, while Bok produced a winning run, defeating Karthikeyan Murali before ousting India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi.Ahead of the big show in Mumbai, TimesofIndia.com caught up with Vidit Gujrathi to discuss his journey through the qualifiers so far, the growing popularity of chess and esports, the need for a dedicated Indian qualifier at the EWC, and more. Apart from that.Q. What was your first reaction when you heard about India Rising and its connection with EWC?I remember in May, I was preparing for another game, and I came to know about the India Rising Championship. I was very happy because the finals were being held in Mumbai. There are very few big tournaments in India, so I was excited about this opportunity. At the same time, I knew it was going to be a difficult journey because there were several qualifying stages. I was hoping that when I finally got to India my friends and family would come to see me play alone.Q. How was this event different from previous chess tournaments?Online events are very different compared to traditional chess. Also, this format is 10 minutes plus a zero-second increment, so this event is very different from traditional chess games because, even if you have a short time, you often have increments. Here, you may have a chance to win but only 10 seconds are left on the clock, and you may still lose the game. So it takes a different approach than other games, which are very modern. This game has only come about in the last three to five years, and it’s just getting started. So I can predict that maybe, in the future, there will be more events like this.
Check out Gujrathi on chess in esports (Image by TimesofIndia.com)
Q. How important is it for India to have its own path to the Esports World Cup?India is a powerhouse when it comes to chess. We have won the Olympiad gold medal. We are the current experts. The World Champion is from India, the Women’s World Cup winner is from India, and her rival Vaishali is also from India. So India is very important in the game of chess. With the number of players also, I think India is one of the top destinations. I feel that the competition is very high here, and it is clear that we have our way to the Esports World Cup. Since esports is a global phenomenon, it is very important to have Indian representatives there. I think we are among the favorites in the world of chess, so it makes sense that we have this event in India.Q. What was the most difficult part of qualifying?For me, the qualification part was not easy at all because the first qualification was a nine-lane event. I was rusty because I hadn’t played in a long time and in the second round itself, I lost a game that shook me. I came back, but in the last four games, I managed only four draws. It was amazing that the tie break was better than the rest and I managed to get the last qualifying place, which was fourth place.
See Gujrathi on India’s influence on the chess world (Image by TimesofIndia.com)
I think that moment would have changed everything. If my breathing had been worse, I wouldn’t have been in the race. So I was a little lucky there. The next day, I played very well, but I needed that opportunity in the first round of qualifying. I almost thought I had lost the opportunity.Q. How important is the chance to play the last LAN in Mumbai?I don’t remember any major event except the Global Chess League which was held in Mumbai. Mumbai is the financial center of India and such a capital, so it makes sense to have an international event there. I think gaming events have been growing in India since the pandemic, and having a LAN final in Mumbai that creates a lot of attention will encourage more events like this to happen here. I am very happy to see that.Q. What does EWC qualification mean at this point in your career?The Esports World Cup is a very exciting tournament. Last year, I tried to play the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). I was leading the race, but in the last three laps I messed up and lost. I was in Riyadh, I flew there mainly from the US, and it was very painful to know that after all these efforts, I did not qualify. Now I have another chance to qualify, and I am preparing very well. I hope that this time I can make it and all efforts pay off because the Esports World Cup has a very different audience compared to regular tournaments. It’s a very special opportunity, and I would love to be a part of it.
Check out Gujrathi for what India can do in sports
Q. How do you see the relationship between chess and esports going?I think chess has an untapped potential. No other game was on the rise during the pandemic the way chess was because it can be played online, and esports is very good for it.Last year, if I remember the numbers correctly, chess was one of the most watched games, at least among the top five or ten, and that was its first year. Many other games have been a part of the Esports World Cup over the years, and for chess to receive such excitement in its first year shows that there is a good market for the product. Chess has a global audience, so the viewership is spread around the world. I feel that we should explore more opportunities for esports and chess to go hand in hand. Q. Do you think India can become the hub of esports-chess events in the world?I think India is still far from being the world capital of the esports scene. You need to have a culture, like-minded people, and the whole environment, including designers, players, sponsors, and more. So far, I feel that we have not done very well when it comes to esports.ALSO READ: ‘This is India’s moment’: Why the nation of 1.4 billion now has a way to dedicate itself to the Esports World CupAlthough I know that several esports players are making a very good living in different areas, we are slowly getting there. But I feel that we still have a way to go to become a global destination. It will take a lot of fun, ground work, and a lot of watching to get to that point. That said, I see it happening in the next five years.
