Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and Dutch GM Benjamin Bok have secured spots in the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess LAN Finals in Mumbai. The LAN Finals in Mumbai will determine the player advancing to the final stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris. The playoffs, held on Chess.com and streamed live on JioBLAST and Chess.com channels, showcased top Indian and foreign GMs competing in a knockout format after progressing through earlier Swiss-format qualifiers.
Asian Games silver medallist Vidit Gujrathi earned his place in the LAN finals by defeating M Pranesh and Raunak Sadhwani. On the other hand, Benjamin Bok advanced by overcoming Karthikeyan Murali and World No. 11 Arjun Erigaisi. Vidit Gujrathi expressed his excitement about the competition, emphasizing the challenging nature of the Swiss stage and the rewarding experience of qualifying for the LAN Finals from a strong field.
India Rising: Road to EWC, an initiative by JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation, aims to connect Indian chess and esports talent to the global Esports World Cup ecosystem. The playoffs followed a nine-round Swiss-format qualifying stage featuring leading Indian GMs like Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani, Karthikeyan Murali, and others. The India Rising LAN Finals in Mumbai will determine the player advancing to the final stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, where competitors will vie for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool.
