Esports Chess World Cup 2025: India grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi enters quarterfinals; how much could he win?

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jul 30, 2025, 13:50 IST

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Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup chess competition in Riyadh. He emerged as the winner of Group B. Erigaisi defeated fellow Indian player Nihal Sarin and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Other group winners include Levon Aronian, Alireza Firouzja, and Magnus Carlsen. The tournament boasts a prize pool of USD 1.5 million.

Esports Chess World Cup 2025: India grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi enters quarterfinals; how much could he win?

Arjun Erigaisi (PTI Photo)

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup chess competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The tournament features four group winners advancing to the quarterfinals: Erigaisi from Group B, Levon Aronian from Group A, Alireza Firouzja from Group C, and Magnus Carlsen from Group D. The event offers a substantial prize pool of USD 1.5 million.The remaining quarterfinal positions will be determined through the Losers Bracket. Group A includes Ian Nepomniachtchi, Vladislav Artemiev, and Andrey Esipenko, while Group B features Anish Giri, Nihal Sarin, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Groups C and D comprise notable players as well. Group C includes Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Hikaru Nakamura, while Group D features Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda.The match format consists of two games with 10 minutes per player without an increment. Ties are resolved through an armageddon game.

Arjun Erigaisi

Erigaisi began the tournament with a convincing 2-0 victory against fellow Indian player Sarin. In another match, Vachier-Lagrave defeated Giri 1.5-0.5.The group winner's match was intense, with Erigaisi winning the first game with black pieces. After Vachier-Lagrave won the second game, Erigaisi claimed victory in the armageddon game with white pieces to advance.

In the Losers Bracket, Sarin will face Giri in the semifinals, with the winner advancing to play Vachier-Lagrave for a quarterfinal spot.The tournament's prize structure ensures significant rewards for all participants. Even the bottom four players in the 16-player field will receive $50,000 each, equivalent to approximately Rs 43 lakh.

Breakdown of prize money:

1st Place: $2,50,000 (approx Rs 2.1 crore)
2nd place: $1,90,000 (approx Rs 1.6 crore)
3rd place: $1,45,000 (approx Rs 1.2 crore)
4th place: $1,15,000 (approx Rs 1 crore)
5th place (four players): $85,000 (approx Rs 74 lakh)
9th place (four players): $65,000 (approx Rs 56 lakh)

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TOI Sports Desk

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