The Chess at Esports Nations Cup 2026 will be held in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, running from November 2 to 8.

128 players will compete for a $600,000 prize pool in a nation-based format. The competition starts with 16 Round-Robin groups of 8, with the top players advancing to a 64-player single-elimination bracket. All matches use a Rapid 10+0 time control, with Armageddon games for tie-breakers.

The event expects participation from top-ranked players, including Magnus Carlsen. The national teams of the USA, India, and China, as well as strong European federations are set to compete.

Chess debuted in the esports arena at the 2025 Esports World Cup. The EWC is a premier annual international gaming tournament and festival held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Magnus Carlsen won the 2025 EWC as part of Team Liquid, earning $250,000 in prize money.

Credit: Esports World Cup