Following a fierce closed playoff stage that included some of the biggest names in competitive chess, Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok and Indian Grandmaster and double Olympiad Gold medallist Vidit Gujrathi qualified for the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess LAN Finals in Mumbai. The player who advances to the final round of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris will be determined by the results of the Mumbai LAN Finals.
Top Indian and international Grandmasters who advanced through the earlier Swiss-style qualifiers competed in a knockout format during the playoffs, which were hosted on Chess.com and broadcast live on JioBLAST and Chess.com channels.
The Asian Games silver medalist, Gujrathi, got his spot in the LAN finals. He did this by beating an Indian Grandmaster, M Pranesh, in the quarterfinals. Then he beat Raunak Sadhwani in the semifinals.
On the side, Benjamin Bok moved forward. He beat Karthikeyan Murali and the World No. 11 Arjun Erigaisi. This was a close competition. Gujrathi is now in the LAN finals. So is Benjamin Bok.
The Swiss stage was incredibly demanding because every round felt like a battle against world-class opposition. Formats like these really test your consistency, preparation and mental resilience over a sustained period. Qualifying for the LAN Finals from such a strong field makes this especially rewarding, and as a Mumbai player, I’m especially excited to compete in front of a home crowd. What also makes India Rising exciting is that it is creating meaningful global pathways for Indian chess players by connecting competitive chess with the rapidly growing esports ecosystem
Vidit Gujrathi
India Rising: Road to EWC is something that JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation started to help Indian chess and esports players compete with the rest of the world in the Esports World Cup.
The Road to EWC had playoffs that came after a qualifying stage with nine rounds. This stage was like a tournament where the best Indian chess players competed against each other.
It had a lot of players like Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani, Karthikeyan Murali, Divya Deshmukh, V Pranav, M Pranesh, Pranav Anand, and Aravindh Chithambaram.
Aravindh Chithambaram is actually the Indian chess player to make it to the Esports World Cup 2026. The Road to EWC is a deal for Indian chess and esports players because it helps them get to the Esports World Cup.
The level of competition throughout the India Rising: Road to EWC qualifiers and playoffs reflects both the strength of Indian chess and the growing crossover between chess and the esports ecosystem. Bringing together Tier 1 talent alongside emerging grassroots on one unified platform, India Rising:Road to EWC stays true to the JioBLAST and EWC’s shared ethos of creating inclusive, long-term pathways for players and fans to rise, compete, and be recognized.
Charlie Cowdrey, CEO, JioBLAST
The India Rising LAN Finals are happening in Mumbai. This event will decide which player will go to the stage of the Esports World Cup 2026. The Esports World Cup 2026 is taking place in Paris. At the Esports World Cup 2026, in Paris, players will compete against each other. They will try to get a part of the prize money of one million five hundred thousand dollars.
