Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram to compete at Esports World Cup
India’s top-ranked grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram will compete at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, as the duo is named in S8UL's chess roster,
Published on Apr 14, 2025
By IANS
- MUMBAI — India’s top-ranked grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh
Chithambaram will compete at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, as the duo is
named in S8UL's chess roster, the franchise said.
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- Making its debut at this year’s edition of the EWC, Chess
will feature a total prize pool of USD 1.5 million (approximately Rs 12.9
crore), with Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen joining as the Global Ambassador.
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- The format will follow a rapid 10+0 time control, where
each player will have 10 minutes per game with no increment. Players will
qualify through the Champions Chess Tour’s February and May events, while a
Last Chance Qualifier in Riyadh will determine the final four competitors.
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- Sarin, a 20-year-old chess prodigy from Thrissur, Kerala,
is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents on the global chess
circuit. He began playing at the age of six and rose to prominence after
winning the World Youth Chess Championship in the under-10 category in Durban.
Since then, he has delivered strong international performances, including a
runner-up finish in the Chess dot com Global Championship in 2022.
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- Most recently, he clinched the President’s Cup 2024 and
followed it up with an unbeaten title run at the Tashkent Open, scoring 8 out
of 10. Nihal is currently ranked 8th in India and 40th in the world, with a
FIDE rating of 2687.
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- Sharing his excitement, Sarin said, "Being part of
the Esports World Cup is a new and exciting experience for me. Chess has
traditionally lived in a very classical space, but the way it is now being
embraced as part of the esports world opens up a whole new dimension for
players and audiences alike. Representing India and S8UL on this global stage
is an honour, and I look forward to this opportunity of taking the game I love
to a much broader audience and inspire more young minds to pick it up."
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- The 25-year-old Chithambaram, from Thirunagar in Madurai,
started playing chess at the age of seven under the guidance of his grandfather
and quickly climbed the ranks, winning the Indian Under-19 Championship at just
12 years old.
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- In 2013, he made headlines after winning his first major
title at the Chennai Grandmaster International Open, followed by earning his
International Master title in 2014 and becoming a Grandmaster in 2015.
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- Chithambaram later went on to win the National Premier
Chess Championship twice, in 2018 and 2019. His 2019 victory was particularly
historic, as he became the first Indian to win the Indian Open in all three
formats, including classical, rapid and blitz.
- Most recently, he won the 2025 Prague Chess Festival
Masters and is currently ranked 4th in India and 11th in the world, with a FIDE
rating of 2749.
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- "This moment is special not just for me but for
Indian chess as a whole. Being part of S8UL’s lineup for the Esports World Cup
reflects how far the game has come and how it continues to evolve. The fact
that a mainstream esports organisation is investing in chess players shows the
growing recognition of chess as both a competitive and spectator sport in the
digital space. It feels great to be part of this new wave, and I hope to make
my country proud on the global stage," stated Chithambaram.
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- In addition to chess, S8UL will be participating in Apex
Legends, EAFC 25, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Tekken 8 at EWC 2025. The
organisation recently unveiled its Apex Legends roster, featuring the
experienced trio of Sharky, Jesko, and Legacy, along with coach Rogers. Rosters
for the remaining titles will be announced soon.
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- As the only Indian organisation to be selected for the
Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program and to have won ‘Content
Group of the Year’ three times in a row at the Esports Awards, S8UL has
redefined what it means to be both a competitive and creative powerhouse in the
global gaming space.
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- Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, co-founder and CEO of S8UL
commented, "We are incredibly proud to be the first Indian team to step
into the global esports chess arena. Nihal and Aravindh are not just two of
India’s best, but among the top minds in the world. Their addition reflects our
commitment to representing India in every genre of competitive gaming and our
belief that esports is about excellence, whether it’s aim or intellect. This is
a historic moment for both S8UL and Indian chess."
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