All posts tagged: EWC 2025

Following Esports World Cup debut in 2025, Chess to enter Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh

Following Esports World Cup debut in 2025, Chess to enter Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 9, 2026 05:58 PM IST After making its entry at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2025, chess is all set to make its way to the Esports Nations Cup 2026. The Esports Foundation on Thursday confirmed the complete 16-game lineup for the ENC, the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026. More than 100,000 players are expected to compete in hundreds of qualification events across 100 markets throughout 2026 for the opportunity to represent their nation and territory on the global stage. Among the 16 titles, chess is now featured alongside games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Valorant. What is the Esports Nations Cup (ENC)? The ENC is a nation-based esports competition. Unlike regular tournaments where private teams compete, the ENC allows players to represent their own country or territory. The event will take place in Riyadh from November 2 to 29, 2026. Qualification events will be held across markets, giving numerous players a chance to earn a spot on …

Why Magnus Carlsen felt Champions Chess Tour wasn’t ideal prep for Norway Chess

Why Magnus Carlsen felt Champions Chess Tour wasn’t ideal prep for Norway Chess

Published by Webster

Magnus Carlsen had no real difficulties in winning the second leg of the Champions Chess Tour — 2025 Chess.com Classic — after beating France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Grand Finals on Friday to complete his double in CCT. With this win, Carlsen pocketed $150,000 and reaffirmed his status as one of the greatest players to have ever played this sport. MVL, meanwhile, confirmed his spot in the upcoming Esports World Cup by reaching the Grand Finals all the way through the losers’ second round bracket. He beat Arjun Erigaisi, Levon Aronian, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Hikaru Nakamura to qualify for the title clash before losing against Carlsen. The Norwegian maestro had to play the minimum amount of games to win the tournament, with none of the players able to enforce tiebreaks in any of the games, as Carlsen suggested it was not a very good practice for the upcoming “Norway Chess”. His home tournament will feature some of the very strong players in classical chess, as Carlsen hoped for a good practice ground in …