It was Carlsen’s unflinching interest in Esports that paved the way for chess to debut at the Esports World Cup (EWC) last year. He will begin his campaign in the Play-In stage. The Indian challenge will be spearheaded by Nihal, the country’s strongest player in speed chess, who recently won Chess.com’s Bullet Chess Championship. Starting with the Play-In stage, the road is toughest for Aravindh. The first phase comprises a double-elimination Play-In stage starting August 11.