Last Chance Qualifier – Knockout
The knockout stage of the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) for the 2025 Esports World Cup chess event concluded on Saturday at Boulevard City in Riyadh. Sixteen players, having advanced from the two-day group stage, competed in a double-elimination bracket to determine the final four participants for the prestigious main tournament. The day featured over eight hours of competitive rapid chess.
Each match consisted of two rapid games played with a 10+0 time control. If the score was level, a bidding Armageddon game determined the winner. For matches where qualification to the main event was at stake, the format shifted to best-of-four games, followed by Armageddon if needed. At the end of an intense day of fighting chess, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Nihal Sarin and Javokhir Sindarov earned the remaining four spots in the 16-player main event of the Esports World Cup, which begins on Tuesday.
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
Playoff brackets | Source: Liquipedia
Nihal: Fastest to qualify
India’s Nihal Sarin, representing Team S8UL, was the first player to secure qualification. He advanced via the Winners Bracket, completing the job in just three matches. His opening match against Denis Lazavik proved to be the most challenging. After a quiet draw in the first game, Nihal found himself worse on the clock and the board in the second, but managed to turn the tables in the final seconds to deliver checkmate in a lost position. He then dispatched Anish Giri with a 1½–½ score and booked his spot in the main event by defeating Andrey Esipenko 2½–1½.
Nihal’s victory made him the first to receive one of the unique metallic ‘keys’ symbolising entry into the main event. These triangular tokens will either be placed into the final trophy by the winner or symbolically destroyed by the opponent.
Sindarov: An Armageddon win over Niemann
Javokhir Sindarov, playing for Team Vitality, mirrored Nihal’s path by also qualifying in three matches without a loss. After a convincing 1½–½ win over Alexey Sarana, he defeated Alexander Grischuk by the same score to move into a qualification match against Hans Niemann. Sindarov stumbled early, losing the first game, but held on to draw the second and then struck back in the third game to level the score. Following a draw in game four, the match had to be decided in Armageddon.
Sindarov won the bidding by choosing to play with the black pieces and only 7 minutes and 24 seconds against Niemann’s 10 minutes. Despite the clock disadvantage, he handled the game calmly, pushing Niemann into lines where the only reasonable option was to repeat moves. Since a draw with Black in Armageddon means victory, Sindarov clinched his place in the main tournament with precise defensive play.
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
Giri: Navigating the Lower Bracket
Anish Giri started the day with a clean win over Levon Aronian, winning the first game and comfortably defending in the second. However, he fell to Nihal Sarin in the next round and dropped into the Lower Bracket, where every match became do-or-die. His first opponent there was Ahmed Adly, whom Giri defeated in Armageddon after missing winning chances in both regular games. He then eliminated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu to set up a qualification showdown with Hans Niemann.
Giri won the first game of that deciding match, drew the second with ease, and was then pushed to the brink in game three. Playing as black, he found himself in serious trouble against Niemann’s powerful centre and dominant bishops. Yet he resisted doggedly, trading down to an endgame where he still stood worse but had a clear strategy: play on the clock.
In the final moments, Niemann lost track of time trying to convert, and Giri flagged his opponent despite the position remaining winning for White. The dramatic escape secured Giri’s return to the elite event.
Aronian: The long route to qualification
Team Reject’s Levon Aronian had the toughest path to qualification. After an early loss to Giri, he needed to win four matches in a row to stay in contention. He began with a technically demanding victory over Denis Lazavik, grinding out a rook endgame where a mouse-slip from Lazavik handed over the decisive pawn. He then dispatched Yu Yangyi 1½–½ before facing long-time rival Alexander Grischuk in a tense match that Aronian also won.
The final qualification match was against Andrey Esipenko. Aronian struck first, winning two impressive technical games, including a conversion of an opposite-coloured bishop endgame with an extra pawn. He needed just a draw in the third to clinch qualification but fell short, allowing Esipenko to strike back with two consecutive wins to force Armageddon. Aronian bid for the black pieces, opted for a sharp line in the opening, and navigated the complications with great accuracy to secure the draw and qualification.
The four qualifiers now join the twelve pre-invited players for the main Esports World Cup chess event, which begins Tuesday, 29 July. The sixteen participants will be split into four groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to a knockout stage. All games will be played with a 10-minute time control and no increment. The event features a $1.5 million prize fund, with $250,000 reserved for the winner.
The final lineup includes: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vladislav Artemiev, Alireza Firouzja, Vladimir Fedoseev, Fabiano Caruana, Wei Yi, plus newly qualified Nihal Sarin, Javokhir Sindarov, Anish Giri and Levon Aronian.
