Aravindh Chithambaram Creates History, Becomes First Indian to Qualify for Esports World Cup 2026 Chess Event

Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram scripted history after becoming the first Indian chess player to qualify for the Esports World Cup 2026 following a sensational triumph at DreamHack Atlanta.

May 19, 2026 | Mumbai

Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Indian chess player to qualify for the Chess main event at the prestigious Esports World Cup 2026. The 26-year-old secured qualification after winning the “Road to EWC” qualifier held during DreamHack Atlanta in the United States.

Representing Indian esports organization S8UL, Aravindh battled through a highly competitive field featuring several top international players. The tournament followed a rapid-format structure with 10-minute games and no increment, placing immense pressure on players to make quick and accurate decisions.

Aravindh impressed throughout the qualifier, defeating players including Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk and Christopher Woo during the group stages and playoffs. In the decisive rounds, he overcame Alexey Sarana and later triumphed in a dramatic Armageddon tiebreaker to clinch qualification for the main event.

The historic qualification also earned Aravindh prize money of USD 15,000 and secured one of the eight confirmed spots in the Chess main event scheduled to take place from August 11 to 15 as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Chess competition alone will feature a prize pool of USD 1.5 million, while the overall Esports World Cup will offer a record-breaking USD 75 million prize pool across multiple esports titles.

Aravindh described the achievement as a proud moment and praised S8UL for supporting Indian chess talent on the global stage. S8UL CEO Animesh Agarwal also hailed the achievement as a landmark moment for Indian chess and esports.

The qualification marks another major milestone for India’s rapidly growing esports ecosystem and highlights the increasing global recognition of Indian chess players beyond traditional tournaments. Fellow Indian grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M are also still in contention to qualify for the event through other pathways.

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