Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hans Moke Niemann played in Group Stage B at the Esports World Cup 2026. Nepo blundered his Queen to Niemann and lost the game.

On move 48, Hans made a Knight Fork on Nepo’s Queen and King. Ian had three King moves available, with only one correct. With the right move, Nepo could have forced Niemann to lose his Queen, resulting in a fair trade. Ian made the wrong move and lost his winning chances.

After losing the piece, Nepo slammed the table three times and dropped his headset on the floor. Ian and Hans then shook hands and discussed the blunder.

The Esports World Cup 2026 takes place from August 11 to 15, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in France. Hans Niemann advanced to Group Stage Semifinals and will play against Magnus Carlsen on August 12. Ian Nepomniachtchi dropped to Lower Bracket and will play against Andrey Esipenko on August 13.

Credit: Esports World Cup YouTube