India’s Chess contingent for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 is now complete, with Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha earning his place by topping the regional qualifier. He joins Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, who had earlier secured a direct invitation through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard. Mitrabha and Nihal will represent India at the global nation-based esports competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.
Esports Nations Cup 2026 aka ENC 2026 – Chess Event
Chess at ENC 2026 will feature 128 players competing for a prize pool of USD 600,000 (~INR 5.7 crore). The competition will begin on November 2 and conclude with the playoff final on November 8. The first stage will consist of all 128 players competing in a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players each. The second stage will see 64 players advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket.
Of the 128 participants, 64 players received direct invitations through the official CCT rankings, ensuring representation from 64 different countries and territories. Among the players already confirmed for the ENC 2026 are some of the biggest names in world Chess, including Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, France’s Alireza Firouzja, and the United States’ Hikaru Nakamura.
The field will also feature Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk and Estonia’s Mai Narva, who became the first women to officially qualify for the event. A further 61 players qualified through regional qualifiers operated by Chess.com, while the final three players earned their places through wildcard slots.
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Every country and territory can be represented by up to two players at the Finals. Where a player receives a direct invitation through the official rankings, an additional representative from the same country or territory can still qualify through regional competition. With Nihal already having qualified through the CCT Leaderboard, only one additional Indian player was eligible to advance through the regional pathway.
The regional qualifier for the Middle East, India, and Central Asia began with an open nine-round Swiss stage featuring verified titled players competing under a 10+0 rapid time control. The top eight players advanced to a double-elimination knockout bracket, from which four players secured qualification to the ENC 2026.
Among the Indian participants, Mitrabha emerged as the standout performer, finishing atop the Swiss standings as the only unbeaten player in the field with six wins and three draws from nine rounds. His result earned him a place in the Upper Bracket quarterfinals, where he defeated Syria’s Malek Koniahli before overcoming Iran’s Artin Ashraf in the Upper Bracket semifinals to secure qualification for the ENC 2026 Finals.
The 24-year-old Grandmaster enters ENC 2026 with strong momentum, having claimed gold at the Commonwealth Chess Championship earlier this year after also winning the title during the 2023-24 season.
Speaking about his qualification, Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha said, “The regional qualifier was challenging from start to finish. Chess has become an increasingly important part of the global esports ecosystem, and the Esports Nations Cup is a great reflection of that growth. The tournament will bring together some of the strongest players from around the world, so preparation will be key. Over the coming months, my focus will be on refining different aspects of my game and ensuring I am ready to perform at my highest level when the competition begins”
Team India will participate in multiple titles at Esports Nations Cup
Elsewhere, India’s preparations for ENC 2026 continue across multiple titles. NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for the tournament has already announced the following national team rosters:
DOTA 2: Krish Gupta (Krish), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Dhvanit Singh Negi (Negi), Manav Kunte (MnZ), and Yash Thakur (xand3r_^). Moin Ejaz (NO_Chanc3) will serve as coach.
The roster will compete in the regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1, where two teams will secure qualification.
MOBA Legends: 5v5!: Gaithanlung Gonmei (Kyle), Susanta Biswas (Kimyy), Abhijeet Katkar (Asuna), Rithik Sohal (Romcom), Evancius A. Sangma (Vann), Mohammad Saad (Apex) and Jay Mehta (J). Steve Vitug (Dale) will serve as coach.
India is currently ranked 11th in the MOBA Legends: 5v5! ENC rankings and remains in contention for a direct invitation. Should it miss out, the team will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.
Rocket League: Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse). Nirjhar Mitra (jocse) will serve as coach.
The team will compete in the regional qualifiers from July 17-19, where three teams from Asia will secure qualification for the ENC 2026 Finals.
