Indian Grandmasters Shine in Top 8 of India Rising: Road to EWC Chess Qualifiers, Highlighting Emerging Talent and Competitive Pathways

Indian Chess Grandmasters Shine in Road to EWC Qualifiers

In a thrilling display of skill and determination, India’s top chess Grandmasters, including world number 11 Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani, and Karthikeyan Murali, have successfully advanced to the closed playoffs of the Top 8 stage in the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers. They will be joined by rising star M Pranesh, who secured his spot through the titled qualifiers route after narrowly missing out in the Indian qualifiers.

The India Rising initiative, launched by JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation, aims to create a competitive pathway for Indian esports and chess talent. This initiative is a significant step towards fostering a robust chess ecosystem in India, which is already recognized as one of the strongest in the world.

Among the standout stories from the qualifiers is that of M Pranesh. Hailing from a modest background, Pranesh has previously relied on crowdfunding to support his chess journey. His progression into the Top 8 exemplifies the breakthrough opportunities that the India Rising platform seeks to provide for emerging talents.

Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “What has stood out through the qualifiers is the mix of elite Grandmasters and emerging talents competing through the same structure. Stories like M Pranesh’s progression into the playoffs reflect the kind of opportunity this platform can create for rising Indian talent.”

The qualifiers, conducted in a nine-round Swiss format, brought together 12 Grandmasters from both Indian and global preliminary stages, alongside some of India’s leading emerging chess talents. Notable participants included Women’s Chess World Cup Champion Divya Deshmukh, V Pranav, Pranav Anand, and Aravindh Chithambaram, all of whom showcased their skills despite having recently qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC).

The global preliminaries also featured Greek Grandmaster Nikolas Theodorou, who made headlines last year by becoming the first Greek player to defeat reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Other notable competitors included German Grandmaster Matthias Blubaum, a two-time European Champion known for his technical prowess, and Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok, celebrated for his dynamic online chess presence.

The upcoming India Rising LAN Finals in Mumbai promises to be an exciting event, featuring a prize pool of Rs 27.5 lakh, further highlighting the growing scale and competitiveness of esports-led chess formats in India.

The closed playoffs are set to take place on Sunday, May 24, at 6:30 PM IST on Chess.com, where the Top 8 players will compete in an online showdown to determine the two finalists advancing to the India Rising LAN Finals. The ultimate winner will earn a coveted spot in the final stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, where competitors will vie for a share of the impressive $1.5 million prize pool.

As the chess community eagerly anticipates the playoffs, the India Rising initiative continues to pave the way for a new generation of chess talent in India, blending tradition with the burgeoning world of esports.