Sports · 9 February 2026

Magnus Carlsen wins inaugural Esports World Cup 2025 chess title

Exam-focused facts from the 9 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) confirmed chess as one of 16 competitive titles for the first-ever Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC).
  • The ENC is scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 November to 29 November 2026.
  • The chess tournament will feature 128 players and take place from 2 November to 8 November 2026.
  • Qualification for the event includes 64 players from Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings, 56 from online regional tournaments, and 8 Wildcard invitations.
  • The tournament format consists of 16 groups of eight players, leading to a 64-player knockout playoff using a Rapid 10+0 time control.
  • Regional qualifiers will be managed by Chess(dot)com in June 2026 across eight zones, including Middle East + India + Central Asia.
  • Magnus Carlsen won the first Esports World Cup chess title in 2025 representing Team Liquid.

View this story in the full daily briefing

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