S8UL Aravindh Chithambaram becomes first Indian to qualify for EWC 2026 Chess Event
(Courtesy :Â S8UL, EWC 2026)
S8UL officially qualifies for its third title at EWC 2026 following Fortnite & Honor of Kings
S8UL, a global name in esports and gaming content, has officially qualified for its third title at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram emerged victorious in the Road to EWC qualifier held at DreamHack Atlanta, becoming the first Indian player to secure qualification for the Chess main event at the prestigious tournament.
The qualifiers featured a group stage followed by playoffs, with matches featuring two games per series and Armageddon as the tiebreaker, all played at 10 minutes with no increment.
The group stage consisted of two double-elimination groups, with the top four players from each group advancing to the playoffs.
S8UL Aravindh’s path to victory
Aravindh advanced to the Upper Bracket (UB) semifinals from Group B after registering victories over Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk, and Christopher Woo.
In the UB semifinals, Aravindh once again faced Woo and defeated him 2-1 after the opening two games ended in draws, clinching victory in the Armageddon game.
He followed it up with another 2-1 win over Alexey Sarana in the UB Final to secure his place in the grand final, where he once again faced Sarana.
The grand final was played in a double-match format, where a Lower Bracket (LB) win triggered a single Armageddon decider if required.
After Sarana won the opening two games of the final from the LB side, Aravindh showcased immense composure under pressure, fighting back to win the Armageddon decider and come out on top in the qualifiers.
Also Read: S8UL qualifies for Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 at Esports World Cup
Prize money & qualifying for EWC 2026
With the victory, the 26-year-old secured USD 15,000 (~INR 14 lakh) in prize money and earned a coveted place among the eight players who have officially qualified for the EWC 2026 Chess main event, set to take place from August 11 to 15 with an overall prize pool of USD 1.5 million (~INR 14 crore).
The qualification also marks S8UL’s confirmed entry into its third title at EWC 2026, following successful qualification campaigns in Fortnite and Honor of Kings.
Speaking about the victory and qualification, Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram said, “Qualifying for the Esports World Cup this year is a very proud and exciting moment for me, especially with so many top players and organizations from around the world competing at the event.
This particular format leaves very little room for error, as every decision matters when you are playing 10-minute games without increment against some of the strongest players in the world. I am also very grateful to the team at S8UL for their consistent support and belief in me since last year.
Their approach towards chess and nurturing Indian talent has been incredibly encouraging, and I am looking forward to representing the organization and giving my best at the main event.”
More Indian players are looking for the qualification
Alongside Aravindh, fellow S8UL Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M also remain in contention to qualify for the EWC 2026 Chess event.
A total of nine players will qualify through the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard, where Nihal is currently in a qualifying position.
Additionally, four players will secure qualification through the Last Chance Qualifiers closer to the tournament, while one final slot will be awarded through the India Rising event, scheduled to conclude on July 5.
Conclusion
Having been selected for the Esports Foundation’s Club Partner Program for the second consecutive year, S8UL earlier announced its most ambitious international esports campaign to date, competing across qualifiers for 13 titles including Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA SPORTS FC, FATAL FURY, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5v5, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.
For this year’s campaign, the organization has placed strong emphasis on Indian representation alongside proven international talent, ensuring homegrown players feature across multiple titles.
This vision has already reflected in results, with S8UL’s Honor of Kings roster comprising Indian players securing qualification for the tournament and Aravindh becoming the first Indian Chess player to officially qualify for the event.
The organization has also qualified in Fortnite through its international roster while remaining in contention across several other titles. S8UL narrowly missed qualification in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and fell short in the semifinals of the MOBA Legends 5v5 qualifiers.
The EWC 2026, set to take place from July 6 to August 23, 2026, will bring together over 2,000 players from 200 clubs across more than 100 countries competing for a record-breaking prize pool of USD 75 million (~INR 720 crore).
With confirmed qualification now across three titles, S8UL will be aiming to continue waving the Indian flag high on the global stage while pushing for qualification in additional titles.
Who is the first Indian chess player to qualify for EWC 2026?
Aravindh Chithambaram became the first Indian chess player to qualify for the Esports World Cup 2026 Chess main event.
How did Aravindh Chithambaram qualify for EWC 2026?
Aravindh secured qualification after winning the Road to EWC Chess qualifier held at DreamHack Atlanta.
How much prize money did Aravindh Chithambaram win?
The Indian Grandmaster earned USD 15,000 (approximately INR 14 lakh) for winning the qualifier tournament.
Which titles has S8UL qualified for at EWC 2026?
S8UL has currently qualified for Fortnite, Honor of Kings, and Chess at the Esports World Cup 2026.
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Mahaksh Chauhan is a passionate gaming journalist who loves for old-school RPGs and turn-based games. With a keen eye for storytelling and a deep understanding of game mechanics, Mahaksh brings an unique perspective to the world of gaming. Inspired by classics like Persona, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Skyrim, Mahaksh is dedicated in sharing the magic of games with readers. When not writing or gaming, Mahaksh can be found cheering on WWE superstars or watching his favourite Anime.