Esports World Cup
Top chess grandmasters call for resolution to 2026 schedule clash
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Seven leading chess grandmasters, including Praggnanandhaa R and Fabiano Caruana, have issued an open letter urging organizers of the Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup to resolve a major scheduling overlap in August 2026. The conflict involves key events from both series, making dual participation impossible for top players. The Grand Chess Tour has stated it cannot alter its dates due to prior commitments.
Four grandmasters secured spots in the 2026 Esports World Cup Play-in after competing at DreamHack Atlanta. GMs Aravindh Chithambaram, Andrey Esipenko, Liem Le, and Alexey Sarana earned qualification through the event held from May 15 to 17.
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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.