Vidit Gujrathi storms into Esports Chess World Cup Qualifier final
Vidit Gujrathi reached the grand final of the India Rising: Road to EWC qualifiers and is now one win away from securing a spot at the 2026 Esports World Cup chess event.
Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi has booked his place in the grand final of the “India Rising: Road to EWC” qualifiers, moving one step closer to securing a coveted spot at the 2026 Esports World Cup chess event. The tournament, which serves as an official pathway to the Esports World Cup (EWC), has emerged as one of the biggest online chess qualification events for Indian players.
Vidit’s run in the qualifiers once again showed his strength in rapid and online formats. The Indian star, known for his calm approach and sharp tactical play, produced a series of impressive performances to reach the summit clash of the tournament. Vidit will face Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok in the grand final, with the winner earning direct qualification to the Esports World Cup.
After the win, Vidit also shared a video confirming his qualification for the final. He captioned the post: “Made it to the finals of the Esports World Cup Qualifier! Finals in Mumbai in July.”
The India Rising event has attracted major attention from the chess community because of its massive prize pool and the growing connection between chess and esports. Organisers announced a prize pool of 27.5 lakh, underlining the rapid rise of chess in the esports ecosystem.
Vidit remains one of India’s most accomplished chess players in recent years. The Nashik-born Grandmaster has represented India at several elite international tournaments and was also part of the historic Indian team that won gold at the Online Chess Olympiad in 2020.
The Esports World Cup has become a major platform for competitive chess after the game’s inclusion in the global esports structure. Top players from around the world are competing through multiple qualification routes for a place in the main event scheduled to be held in Riyadh later this year.
Earlier this month, Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram became the first Indian player to qualify for the Esports World Cup chess event after winning the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta.
Vidit will now hope to join the growing list of Indian stars at the prestigious event and continue India’s rise as a global chess powerhouse.