Mumbai, May 26: Indian Grandmaster (GM) and two-time Olympiad gold medalist, Vidit Gujrathi, along with Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok, have secured their spots in the ‘India Rising: Road to EWC Chess LAN Finals’ taking place in Mumbai. This qualification came after an intense ‘closed playoff’ round featuring some of the biggest names in competitive chess.
The LAN Finals in Mumbai will determine which player advances to the final round of the ‘E-Sports World Cup 2026’ in Paris. Top GMs from India and abroad competed in a ‘knockout format’ after previously navigating a ‘Swiss-format’ qualifier.
Asian Games silver medalist Gujrathi earned his place in the LAN Finals by defeating emerging Indian GM M. Pranesh in the quarterfinals and Raunak Sadhwani in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Benjamin Bok advanced by overcoming Karthikeyan Murali and world number 11 Arjun Erigaisi in a tough bracket.
Following this historic victory, Vidit Gujrathi expressed, “The Swiss round was incredibly challenging, as it felt like I was facing the world’s best players in every round. This format truly tests your consistency, preparation, and mental endurance over time. Qualifying for the LAN Finals among such strong players is a significant achievement in itself. As a player from Mumbai, I am very excited to compete in front of my home crowd. What makes ‘India Rising’ even more thrilling is that it opens new avenues for Indian chess players on a global stage, connecting competitive chess with the rapidly growing world of e-sports.”
‘India Rising: Road to EWC’ is an initiative launched by GeoBlast and the E-Sports Foundation. Its aim is to create competitive pathways for skilled Indian chess and e-sports players by linking them to the global e-sports world cup. After the playoffs, a nine-round Swiss-format qualifying phase took place, featuring renowned Indian GMs including Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Raunak Sadhwani, Karthikeyan Murali, Divya Deshmukh, V Pranav, M Pranesh, Pranav Anand, and Arvind Chidambaram. Arvind Chidambaram has already qualified as the first Indian Grandmaster for the E-Sports World Cup 2026.
The India Rising LAN Finals in Mumbai will decide which player moves forward to the final stage of the E-Sports World Cup 2026 in Paris, where competitors will vie for their share of a total prize pool of $1.5 million.
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