The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced on 8 February 2026 that Chess will be included as the latest of 16 titles in the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to take place in Riyadh from November 2 to 29, 2026. The Chess tournament will feature a record number of competitors, providing new talents and underrepresented nations the opportunity to compete on a major stage as the game continues to grow within esports.
The Chess event at ENC 2026 will begin on November 2 and conclude with the playoff final on November 8. The tournament will start with 128 players competing in a round-robin group stage, divided into 16 groups of eight players. The top four from each group will advance to the single-elimination playoff stage, consisting of 64 players. All group stage matches, as well as Round of 64 and Round of 32 matches, will be best-of-two. Quarterfinals and subsequent rounds will be best-of-four. Armageddon games will be used as tie-breakers, and all matches will follow a Rapid 10+0 time control format.
A total of 128 players will compete in the Chess tournament, with 64 players from 64 nations directly invited based on the official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings, 56 players qualifying through regional qualifiers, and 8 players entering via Wildcard slots. Direct invites will be determined using the official CCT rankings, limited to one player per nation, with the Titled Tuesday Spring Split serving as a tie-breaker if fewer than 64 unique nations are represented. The cut-off date for direct invites is May 26, 2026. Regional qualifiers will take place on June 6-7 and June 13-14, with each region hosting two qualifiers consisting of a Swiss stage and a double-elimination stage. Four players from each qualifier will advance to ENC, giving eight slots per region. Qualifiers will be conducted by Chess.com across seven regions: North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East plus India plus Central Asia, and East Asia plus Southeast Asia plus Oceania. Each nation may have up to two representatives. Nations with a directly invited player can qualify only one additional player through regional qualifiers, while nations without a direct invite may qualify up to two players online.
Chess debuted at the Esports World Cup in 2025, attracting attention as one of the world’s oldest games in a digital format. The event featured top players, including Magnus Carlsen, who won the inaugural Chess championship at EWC 2025 representing Team Liquid. A total of 20 nations participated across the main event and Last Chance Qualifier.
“Playing for Gen.G at the Esports World Cup was a great experience for me. The energy there was amazing and unlike any chess tournament I’ve played before. It’s really exciting to see chess becoming part of the esports world and reaching so many new people. I’m looking forward to the Esports Nation Cup and can’t wait to start competing again,” said Arjun Erigaisi, India’s number 1 ranked chess player.
“I am very excited that the Esports Nations Cup is happening for the first time this year! In 2024 when the Chess Olympiad happened, it was such an exciting time for Indian chess. I am sure there will be a similar level of excitement in the Indian community for the Esports Nations Cup as well since they will be rooting for the nation and our top Indian players! I am really looking forward to it,” said Sagar Shah, Co-founder and CEO, ChessBase India.
“After the incredible success of chess at the Esports World Cup, bringing it into a nation based format adds a powerful layer. Playing for your flag brings pride, pressure, and passion and that’s what makes fans invest so deeply. Having been part of the Esports World Cup broadcast and experiencing its impact ring side I’m very excited to see this next chapter as the game cements its place as a perfect fit in the world of esports,” said Grandmaster and commentator Tania Sachdev.
