Maxime Vachier-Lagrave announced his withdrawal from the Esports World Cup 2026 on July 16. Maxime explains that no solution could be found to resolve the scheduling conflict between EWC and Grand Chess Tour, and notes his regret that he will not be able to play at EWC.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

France's No. 2

“Despite the efforts made in recent months with Team Vitality, my team, and all the players affected by this scheduling conflict, no solution could be found with the various organizers.

We invested heavily in this matter, as it was truly heartbreaking to have to choose between two competitions and two formats that are particularly close to my heart.

After exploring without success all the solutions that could have allowed me to honor all of my commitments, I ultimately had to make a choice. I have therefore decided to honor the commitments I had previously made with the Grand Chess Tour.

I obviously regret not being able to defend the colors of Team Vitality in Paris. This situation disadvantages the team as much as myself, as well as the other players involved.

I simply hope to have the opportunity to defend the colors of Team Vitality under very different circumstances in 2027.”

The Last Chance qualification for the Esports World Cup is scheduled for August 6-8, and the main tournament is planned for August 11-15. Grand Chess Tour circuit scheduled the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz for August 2-6, and the Sinquefield Cup for August 10-20. These dates directly overlap, making participation in both tournaments impossible.

In February, elite chess players published an open letter addressed to the organizers of GCT and EWC. GCT organizers stated that they could not change the dates of their events. EWC did not make public statements regarding the situation and did not change the dates of their events in 2026.

The Esports World Cup is a premier annual international gaming tournament and festival held in Riyadh, with a $1,500,000 prize fund. Grand Chess Tour is an annual circuit of international chess tournaments with a $2,000,000 prize pool.

Credit: Lennart Ootes