World number-four GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu headlines a star-studded preliminary list of participants signed up for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) for the Esports World Cup (EWC), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The LCQ, scheduled for July 24-26, offers one last shot at qualifying for the $1.55 million showdown in Saudi Arabia, where chess will make a historic debut on the big stage. With 12 players already qualified, the battle in Riyadh will determine the final four spots for the EWC.
The preliminary list of participants includes eight grandmasters ranked above 2700. In addition to Praggnanandhaa, Team Liquid’s latest signing, the event will also see star GMs such as Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, Vidit Gujrathi, and Yu Yangyi competing. Currently more than 60 players are registered, among them 23 GMs, but the list could grow larger as registrations can be made until July 23.
Last Chance Qualifier Registration List (July 16)
| Title | Name | Federation | FIDE Classical | Team |
| GM | Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 2779 | Team Liquid | |
| GM | Anish Giri | 2748 | Team Secret | |
| GM | Levon Aronian | 2742 | ||
| GM | Hans Niemann | 2736 | ||
| GM | Vincent Keymer | 2730 | ||
| GM | Aravindh Chithambaram | 2724 | S8UL Esports | |
| GM | Vidit Gujrathi | 2720 | ||
| GM | Yu Yangyi | 2714 | Wolves Esports | |
| GM | Dmitry Andreikin | 2695 | ||
| GM | Nihal Sarin | 2692 | S8UL Esports | |
| GM | Daniil Dubov | 2691 | Team Spirit | |
| GM | Alexey Sarana | 2686 | ||
| GM | Andrey Esipenko | 2679 | ||
| GM | Nodirbek Yakubboev | 2663 | ||
| GM | Aleksandar Indjic | 2661 | ||
| GM | David Anton Guijarro | 2625 | ||
| GM | Oleksandr Bortnyk | 2601 | NAVI | |
| GM | Ahmed Adly | 2589 | ||
| GM | Aleksandr Rakhmanov | 2585 | ||
| GM | Denis Lazavik | 2580 | BDS Esports | |
| GM | Alexandr Fier | 2562 | Imperial Esports | |
| GM | Andrew Tang | 2529 |
Other notable names are GMs Oleksandr Bortnyk, Alexey Sarana, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Andrew Tang, who all won a trip to the LCQ through DreamHack Dallas.Â
Several esports organizations also registered their players in order to increase their chances of winning glory in the $70 million Club Championship in the EWC. One notable star is GM Daniil Dubov, the 2018 World Rapid Champion, of Team Spirit. Another is GM Denis Lazavik, the 18-year-old speed chess specialist, who represents BDS Esports.
The LCQ will feature a nine-round Swiss followed by a double-elimination knockout phase. Time control is 10 minutes with no increment. The top four players from the knockout will earn their spots in the EWC.Â
The four players from LCQ will join Team Liquid’s GMs Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, and Team Falcon’s GM Hikaru Nakamura in the Esports World Cup. Other confirmed players are GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi (Aurora Gaming), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Team Vitality), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Twisted Minds), Arjun Erigaisi (Gen.G Esports), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (NAVI), Vladislav Artemiev (Team Spirit), Vladimir Fedoseev, and Wei Yi (Weibo Gaming).
The winner of the event will cash in an astonishing $250,000, with $180,000 going to second place, while third place takes home $125,000.
