Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, a double Olympiad gold medallist, and Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok have secured their berths in the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess LAN Finals in Mumbai, emerging from a fiercely contested closed playoff stage that brought together some of competitive chess's biggest names. The Mumbai LAN Finals will determine which player advances to the final stage of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.

How They Qualified

Vidit Gujrathi, also an Asian Games silver medallist, navigated a demanding bracket to seal his spot — defeating rising Indian Grandmaster M Pranesh in the quarterfinals before overcoming Raunak Sadhwani in the semifinals. On the other side of the draw, Benjamin Bok advanced by defeating Karthikeyan Murali and then World No. 11 Arjun Erigaisi in a closely fought semifinal.

What Gujrathi Said

'The Swiss stage was incredibly demanding because every round felt like a battle against world-class opposition. Formats like these really test your consistency, preparation, and mental resilience over a sustained period. Qualifying for the LAN Finals from such a strong field makes this especially rewarding, and as a Mumbai player, I'm especially excited to compete in front of a home crowd,' said Gujrathi. He added that the initiative is 'creating meaningful global pathways for Indian chess players by connecting competitive chess with the rapidly growing esports ecosystem.'

The Competition Format

The playoffs, held on Chess.com and streamed live on JioBLAST and Chess.com channels, followed a nine-round Swiss-format qualifying stage. The field included leading Indian Grandmasters such as Arjun Erigaisi, Raunak Sadhwani, Karthikeyan Murali, Divya Deshmukh, V. Pranav, M. Pranesh, Pranav Anand, and Aravindh Chithambaram — who has already qualified as the first Indian Grandmaster for the Esports World Cup 2026.

What India Rising Means for Chess and Esports

India Rising: Road to EWC is a joint initiative by JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation, designed to build a competitive bridge between Indian chess talent and the global esports ecosystem. Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, said the competition 'reflects both the strength of Indian chess and the growing crossover between chess and the esports ecosystem,' adding that the platform brings 'Tier 1 talent alongside emerging grassroots on one unified platform.'

What Is at Stake in Paris

The winner of the Mumbai LAN Finals will compete at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, where players will contest for a share of an overall prize pool of $1.5 million. The tournament represents one of the most significant competitive chess-esports crossover events on the global calendar, and India's strong showing in the qualifiers underlines the country's growing depth in elite chess.