India’s Chess lineup for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 is officially complete. Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha has secured his place at the global tournament by topping the regional qualifier for the Middle East, India, and Central Asia — joining fellow Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, who had already locked in his spot through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard. The two will represent India at the ENC 2026 Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 8, 2026, competing for a prize pool of USD 600,000 (approximately ₹5.7 crore).

How Mitrabha Earned His Spot

The regional qualifier was no formality. The competition opened with a nine-round Swiss stage featuring verified titled players on a rapid 10+0 time control, and only the top eight advanced to a double-elimination knockout bracket. Mitrabha stood out as the sole unbeaten player across the entire Swiss stage, finishing with six wins and three draws from nine rounds. He then carried that momentum into the knockouts, defeating Syria’s Malek Koniahli in the quarterfinals and Iran’s Artin Ashraf in the semifinals to seal qualification.

The 24-year-old enters ENC 2026 in strong form, having claimed gold at the Commonwealth Chess Championship earlier this year — a title he also won during the 2023-24 season. In his own words, Mitrabha described the qualifier as “challenging from start to finish” and emphasised that preparation over the coming months would be key, with some of the world’s strongest players set to be in attendance at Riyadh.

Who Else Is Going to Be There?

The ENC 2026 Chess field will feature 128 players across 16 groups of eight, with 64 players advancing to a single-elimination playoff bracket. The tournament has already confirmed some of the biggest names in world Chess — Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura from the United States, Alireza Firouzja representing France, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda from Poland are all set to compete. Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mai Narva have also made history as the first women to officially qualify for the event.

India’s Broader ENC 2026 Campaign

Chess isn’t the only title where India is making moves. NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026, has already confirmed national rosters across three additional titles. The DOTA 2 squad heads into regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1. The Rocket League team competes in their qualifier from July 17 to 19, with three Asian slots available. The MOBA Legends: 5v5! side, currently ranked 11th globally, is targeting a direct invitation but has a regional qualifier on August 15-16 as a backup.

With Chess now fully sorted and multiple other squads deep in preparation, India is shaping up for one of its most comprehensive showings at a global esports event yet.