Arjun Erigaisi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won their initial matches in Group B upper bracket. Winners match scheduled for July 29.

Anish Giri 0.5 - 1.5 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Nihal Sarin 0 - 2 Arjun Erigaisi

The Esports World Cup 2025 Group stage is played in GSL format with upper and lower brackets determining the two players who advance to quarterfinals. The tournament uses 10+0 rapid time control with a $1.5 million total prize pool. Winners upper bracket matches need one more victory to secure quarterfinal spots.