The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has officially announced that chess will be included as a competitive title in the upcoming Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026. The strategy game joins a lineup of 16 titles for the nation-based tournament scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later this year.
The chess competition is set to run from November 2 to November 8, 2026. This inclusion marks a significant step for the game as it continues to integrate into the broader esports ecosystem following its successful debut at the Esports World Cup in 2025.
Tournament Format and Structure
The event will feature a substantial field of 128 players representing their respective nations. The competition will begin with a round-robin group stage consisting of 16 groups, each containing eight players.
The top four competitors from each group will advance to the second stage of the tournament. This subsequent phase will function as a single-elimination playoff bracket featuring 64 players.
Matches during the group stage and the initial rounds of the playoffs will be played as best-of-two series. Starting from the quarterfinals, the intensity will increase with matches shifting to a best-of-four format.
All games will be played under a Rapid 10+0 time control format. In the event of ties, Armageddon games will be utilized as tie-breakers to determine the winner.
Qualification Pathways
Players will secure their spots in the Esports Nations Cup through three distinct methods. A total of 64 players will receive direct invitations based on the official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings. These direct invites are limited to one player per nation.
For countries without a direct invitee, or to fill the second representative slot, 56 players will qualify through regional qualifiers. The remaining eight spots will be filled through Wildcard invitations.
The deadline for determining direct invites based on rankings is May 26, 2026. If the CCT rankings do not feature 64 unique nations, the Titled Tuesday Spring Split will serve as an additional tie-breaker.
Regional Qualifiers
Regional qualification tournaments will be operated by Chess.com and are scheduled to take place on June 6-7 and June 13-14, 2026. These qualifiers will cover seven global regions, with each region awarded eight slots for the main event.
The designated regions are:
- North America
- South America
- Africa
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Middle East, India, and Central Asia
- East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania
Each nation is permitted a maximum of two representatives at the tournament.
Building on Previous Success
The addition of chess to the ENC follows its popular appearance at the Esports World Cup 2025, where Team Liquid’s Magnus Carlsen claimed the inaugural championship. The 2026 event aims to provide a platform for new talent and underrepresented nations to compete on a major international stage.
While the specific prize pool for the chess event has not been detailed, the ENC has a total funding commitment of $45 million to the esports ecosystem, with $20 million allocated directly to players and coaches across all titles.