Chess Confirmed for 2027 Esports World Cup
Organizers will award 12 places through a revamped Champions Chess Tour leaderboard ahead of the event in Riyadh next summer.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in eSports
Chess has been confirmed as a title at the 2027 Esports World Cup, which returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next summer. Magnus Carlsen, the defending champion, is guaranteed a place in the 2027 event.
Why it matters
Adding chess to one of the largest esports competitions widens the sport's competitive pathway and brings a new qualification structure to players worldwide. The change also signals continued integration of traditional games into the esports ecosystem.
Carlsen won the 2026 Esports World Cup chess title in Paris in August for $250,000, his second title after the inaugural 2025 Riyadh event. Lazavik, 19, earned $190,000 as runner-up, and the 2027 prize fund has not yet been published.
The players
Magnus Carlsen
Norwegian chess grandmaster and former world champion who is the defending Esports World Cup chess champion.
Lazavik
Nineteen-year-old chess player who reached the 2026 Esports World Cup final by eliminating Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Hikaru Nakamura.
The details
Qualification will run through a revamped Champions Chess Tour leaderboard that combines Titled Tuesday, the Speed Chess Championship and the Chess.com Open. Automatic qualification for top-three finishers in the Speed Chess Championship and Chess.com Open has been removed, and winners of those events will instead earn 150 points toward overall standings.
Timeline
August 2026: Carlsen won his second Esports World Cup title over Lazavik in Paris.
September 1, 2026: The Champions Chess Tour qualification period began.
November 6, 2026: Chess was confirmed for the 2027 Esports World Cup.
May 25, 2027: The Champions Chess Tour qualification period concludes.
Summer 2027: The 2027 Esports World Cup takes place in Riyadh.
Season Trajectory
Chess joined the Esports World Cup at its inaugural 2025 Riyadh event, where Carlsen took the first title, and the 2027 confirmation makes the game a recurring fixture rather than a one-time addition. The revamped qualification structure also reshapes how the sport's top players earn entry into the competition.
Players hoping to qualify must now earn points across Titled Tuesday, the Speed Chess Championship and the Chess.com Open, since automatic top-three qualification has been eliminated. Satellite event winners will also gain entry into an EWC Last Chance Qualifier for main-event places.
The takeaway
Competitive players should track the Champions Chess Tour leaderboard closely, because points earned from the Speed Chess Championship and Chess.com Open now count toward qualification in place of automatic spots. Those aiming for Riyadh should plan for the full season running through May 25.
What happens next
The Champions Chess Tour qualification period concludes on May 25, 2027, ahead of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh next summer.
Further reading
For more on how competitive games are growing into major tournaments, explore our eSports coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chess.
