Chess just became the 16th game in the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026. Thanks to EWCF, it’s a huge step up from old-school mind sports to the esports boom. On February 6, it was announced that 128 national players would compete in Riyadh from November 2 to 8. The event will mix quick chess with knockout heat to appeal to both board game fans and gamers. Chess.com is on the air, competing with 15 other digital giants in pure country pride showdowns—strat genius vs. national fire, with millions of people watching.
Format’s set up for excitement: 128 players in 16 groups of 8 play each other in a round-robin, with the top 4 moving on to a 64-player elimination bracket. Best-of-2 for groups, R64, and R32; best-of-4 for QF. Ties? Armageddon blitz: White gets draws and Black gets wins. All Rapid 10+0 (10 min no inc)—quick strategies, no grinding, and perfect stream speed.
Quals go global: 64 CCT ranked locks (cut May 26, 2026). Chess.com regionals will take place on June 6–7 and June 13–14 in seven zones: North America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. There will be eight spots in each Swiss and double-elimination tournament. A maximum of two per country; ranked eats one more slot. 8 different wildcards. One lead rep per country—beef at the Olympic level.
ENC chess has a mind-esports feel to it. Chess.com’s “25 EWC 20 nations; this 128/64+ amps it.” Gold streams, Armageddon kills, and draw drags last 4 to 6 minutes. The EWCF pool is worth $60 million. Chess has millions of players, like Dota and CS. Twitch, YouTube, and Chess.com all have more than 100 million viewers, and GMs are better than noobs.
There is a change in the competition: CCT nationals are official, and India wants Gukesh and Pragg, the US wants Fabi and Lev (is Carlsen a free agent?), and China wants Ding’s team. 10+0 aggression; the series is steady. Qualifiers are open for Africa and South Africa. Women charge: Ju/Alex stars?
Esports boost: Chess.com publishes 100 million; Saudi money makes brains more common. Next up are annuals and Olympic shots (IO dodge). Business is booming: Red Bull and tech sponsors, merchandise, and digital feeders. Pushback? People who don’t like classical music are quick to criticize it, but the format is great.
AI owns boards (Leela/Stockfish), but humans shine on a national level. ENC puts chess in the same category as Valorant and Dota. In India, there are five gold hunters and ten elites. In UP, AI-health is pitted against chess roots. Streams: Multiple views and AI breakdowns.
Hype: Magnus teases; Caruana is the boss of USA? Qual Swiss craziness. “Chess esports home”—128 seals. Armageddon is coming for the new squads. Chess levels: from coffee shops to coliseums, countries fight. ENC ’26 mind-esports start—crowns are coming.
