An open competition will be held to decide a spot in chess at the Esports World Cup, to be held in Riyadh from August 11 to 15. The event, jointly organised by the Esports Foundation, JioBLAST and chess.com, is expected to feature about 10,000 players from across the country.

The finale of the India Rising: Road to EWC will be held in Mumbai. India was represented at the Esports World Cup last year by Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi, who played for S8UL and Gen. G, respectively.

“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to unite the global gaming community, and that means investing in regions shaping the future of the industry,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation. “India is central to that vision.”

“India has the second biggest gaming base and one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, but what has been missing is a clear and credible pathway from India into the biggest global stages,” said Charlie Cowdrey, CEO, JioBLAST. “Partnering with the Esports World Cup to build India Rising: Road to EWC will change that.”