Carlsen beats Lazavik, successfully defends Esports World Cup title

Magnus Carlsen successfully defended his title. After winning the Esports World Cup in 2025, he came out on top again this year. In the final, he faced Denis Lazavik, a young talent who is particularly strong in online chess. Carlsen won both matches, each of which consisted of four games. Overall, he defeated Lazavik four times and drew the other four games. In the match for third place, Hikaru Nakamura beat Alireza Firouzja. Their encounter was not without drama. | Image: Esports World Cup webcast