The India Rising chess tournament has been announced as a new qualifying route to the Esports World Cup 2026 chess tournament in Riyadh, offering a $30,000 prize fund and one spot in the main event.
The event combines three online qualifiers with an in-person final in Mumbai. The Open Qualifier for non-titled players begins on May 18 as a nine-round Swiss tournament with a 10+0 time control. Titled players join the top finishers in a qualifier on May 23, while a separate Indian Qualifier for federation-registered titled players runs the same day. The winner earns a direct place in the Esports World Cup chess tournament, which carries a $1.5 million prize pool.