The first day of the group stage
The 2025 Esports World Cup Chess tournament began on Tuesday in Riyadh, marking the first time chess has featured in the high-profile esports event. Organised in partnership with Chess.com, the competition serves as the final stage of the 2025 Champions Chess Tour.
The 16-player field has been divided into four groups, each competing in a double-elimination mini-knockout. Matches consist of two rapid games with a 10+0 time control, and tied matches are resolved by a bidding armageddon game. The winner of each group’s upper bracket secures direct qualification to the quarterfinals, while the remaining players compete in the lower bracket for the final qualifying spots.
All games are played in front of a live audience on large display screens, with players allowed to wear headphones during matches to block out noise.
Carlsen 1-0 Duda (Game 2)
Analysis by André Schulz
Group A: Levon Aronian (Team Reject)
The Classical Sicilian has stood the test of time as one of the most principled and fighting defences against 1.e4. With its rich history spanning world championship matches and modern elite tournaments, this opening remains a favourite among players who seek a dynamic, counterattacking approach without venturing into extreme theoretical battles like the Najdorf or Sveshnikov.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 6.h3
Group A saw Levon Aronian advance to the quarterfinals after a clean 2–0 win against Andrey Esipenko in the winners final. Earlier in the day, Aronian had edged out Vladislav Artemiev in a closely fought match that went to Armageddon. Esipenko, who replaced Vladimir Fedoseev due to a late withdrawal, had begun with a 1½–½ victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi. With Aronian now through, Artemiev, Nepomniachtchi and Esipenko drop to the lower bracket.
Levon Aronian
All games
Group B: Arjun Erigaisi (Gen G Esports)
Arjun Erigaisi delivered an impressive performance to win Group B. He first defeated Nihal Sarin (S8UL) 2–0, then edged Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Team Vitality) in Armageddon after splitting the rapid games 1–1. The final qualification match was tense, but Arjun held his nerve with the black pieces to secure the draw required. With his quarterfinal spot booked, Vachier-Lagrave, Nihal, and Anish Giri (Team Secret) will now contest the lower bracket.
Arjun Erigaisi
All games
Group C: Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons)
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves
Alireza Firouzja, also representing Team Falcons, joined his teammate Hikaru Nakamura in Group C. In the first round, Firouzja defeated Wei Yi (Weibo Gaming) 1½–½, while Nakamura won 2–0 against Javokhir Sindarov. The winners’ final between the two Falcons teammates was closely contested, ending 1–1 in the rapid portion. Firouzja then won the Armageddon tiebreak to become the third player to reach the quarterfinals. Nakamura, Wei Yi and Sindarov remain in contention via the Losers Bracket.
Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura
All games
Group D: Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid)
Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid) began his campaign with a solid 1½–½ win over Nodirbek Abdusattorov (NAVI). He then faced Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Twisted Minds), who had earlier defeated Fabiano Caruana (free agent) by the same score. In the group final, Carlsen once again won 1½–½ to book his place in the quarterfinals. Duda, Caruana and Abdusattorov now face a tough path through the lower bracket.
Magnus Carlsen
