Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin bow out in EWC 2026 quarterfinals

The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 witnessed the exit of Indian players Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin in the quarterfinals. Initially, there was optimism among Indian fans due to the expanded field and dedicated zonal qualifiers for chess at the event. However, the script remained largely unchanged from the previous year. Both Erigaisi and Sarin, out of the four Indians who qualified, were knocked out in the quarterfinals by formidable opponents.

Nihal Sarin, who had previously reached the semifinals in Riyadh, faced the defending champion Magnus Carlsen in the quarterfinals. Carlsen quickly secured a 2-0 lead, eventually winning the match and advancing to the top four. Arjun Erigaisi's quarterfinal bout against world champion Hikaru Nakamura was more closely contested, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw after four games.

The tie was decided in an Armageddon game, where Arjun, playing with draw odds, was ultimately defeated by Nakamura. Both Indian players earned $75,000 in prize money for reaching the top eight. Other Indian participants, Pranesh M and Aravindh Chithambaram, secured $55,000 and $23,000 respectively from the $1.5 million prize pool.