
Esports World Cup 2025: Nihal Sarin enters quarterfinal
Sarin pulled off back-to-back wins on Wednesday in the lower bracket, first against Netherlands' Anish Giri (2-0) and Vachier-Lagrave (1.5-0.5).
Sarin, representing S8UL Esports, held Vachier-Lagrave with black pieces in the first game, before claiming a win with white to secure his progression.
The time control for all games is 10 minutes with no increment and every fixture is a two-game match (with a possible armageddon tiebreak).
On Tuesday, Arjun Erigaisi, along with other group winners - Levon Aronian, Alireza Firouzja and Magnus Carlsen - progressed to the last-eight stage of the 16-player event which has a prize money of USD 1.5 million.

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First Post
6 hours ago
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Esports World Cup 2025: Carlsen crowned champion as Erigaisi finishes fourth after defeat against Nakamura
Arjun Erigaisi's campaign ended with back-to-back defeats as the Indian Grandmaster, representing Gen.G at the Esports World Cup, lost to Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-3.5 to finish fourth. Magnus Carlsen, meanwhile, beat Alireza Firouzja to be crowned champion. read more Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi finished first and fourth respectively on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup. Image credit: Esports World Cup Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi's campaign ended with back-to-back defeats as Magnus Carlsen was crowned champion on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Friday. After storming into the semi-finals with a hat-trick of victories, including against compatriot Nihal Sarin, Erigaisi was halted on his tracks by French GM Alireza Firouzja, who handed him a 4-1 defeat to advance to the final. On Friday, Erigaisi – representing Gen.G – suffered a second defeat in as many games to finish fourth on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup, suffering a 2.5-3.5 loss at the hands of world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura. This despite the 21-year-old Indian winning Game 1 with white pieces and holding the American GM to a draw in the second. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nakamura would surge ahead by winning the next two games, which was followed by Erigaisi leveling the scores at 2.5-2.5, collecting another victory with white pieces. Nakamura, however, won the decisive game to clinch the contest and finish third on the overall standings. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐄𝐖𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 Arjun Erigaisi finishes in 4th Place! ♟️🏅 This concludes Gen.G's debut in CHESS at the EWC. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all our fans for following along and supporting us throughout this week, with a special shoutout to those… — Gen.G Esports (@GenG) August 1, 2025 Carlsen stamps his authority in Riyadh Team Falcons thus had two players finishing among the top three – Firouzja and Nakamura at the second and third positions respectively. Team Liquid's Magnus Carlsen, who has been the Classical world No 1 since 2011 and is also a five-time world champion, was crowned the inaugural chess champion at the Esports World Cup after winning both sets in the best-of-three-sets final against Firouzja by 3-1 margins. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlsen thus takes home a prize money of $250,000 (Rs 2.18 crore) while Firouzja and Nakamura won $190,000 (Rs 1.65 crore) and $145,000 (Rs 1.26 crore) respectively. Erigaisi took home $115,000 which is just over Rs 1 crore. Sarin, who had represented Indian Esports organisation S8UL after confirming his place via the Last Chance Qualifier, finished in the 5th-8th bracket after his quarter-final defeat against Carlsen. He wins $85,000 (Rs 74 lakh) for his efforts.


News18
9 hours ago
- News18
Arjun Erigaisi Secures Rs 1.2Cr Payday With Fourth Place Finish At Esports World Cup
Last Updated: Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi narrowly lost to Hikaru Nakamura in the Esports World Cup chess event in Riyadh. Nakamura won bronze with a 3.5–2.5 victory. Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi narrowly lost to Hikaru Nakamura of the United States in a dramatic third-place playoff at the Esports World Cup chess event in Riyadh on Friday. Nakamura clinched the bronze medal with a 3.5–2.5 victory in a closely contested six-game match that went down to the wire. Throughout the playoff, both players stayed evenly matched for most of the encounter. The match reached its decisive moment in the sixth and final game, where Erigaisi, playing with the black pieces, faltered during a tense endgame. Facing immense time pressure, the 21-year-old Indian star committed a series of blunders, which allowed Nakamura—currently the world No. 2 and one of the strongest rapid and blitz players ever—to capitalize and secure the win. Career-Best Payday for Erigaisi Despite missing out on the podium, Erigaisi walked away with a career-high prize of $115,000 (approximately ₹1 crore) for his fourth-place finish in the knockout-format tournament. A third-place finish would have earned him $145,000 (around ₹1.26 crore), but even so, this result marks a financial and competitive milestone in his young career. Arjun's journey in the Esports World Cup saw him defeat Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi in the quarterfinals, after which he faced French-Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzja in the semifinals, where he was narrowly defeated. India's other young talent, Nihal Sarin, also turned heads in Riyadh. The 20-year-old reached the quarterfinals, where he faced former World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Although he lost the match, Sarin pocketed a commendable $85,000 (approximately ₹74 lakh) for his efforts. Reflecting on the experience, Nihal said: 'I'm just very happy to play against Magnus; he's my biggest inspiration. It's my first time getting to play him in a match," he said with a smile after the match. All eyes now shift to the grand final between Magnus Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja, set to be one of the most anticipated showdowns of the year. The winner will take home a staggering $2.5 million (roughly ₹20.8 crore)—an unprecedented prize pool in competitive chess. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.