Esports World Cup: Aronian, Bortnyk, Pragg and Niemann top Last Chance Qualifiers’ group stage

The Last Chance Qualifier for the Esports World Cup chess event is underway in Riyadh, with 16 players set to battle for the final four places in the main tournament. Held from 24 to 26 July, the qualifier began with a two-day group stage and concludes with a double-elimination knockout on Saturday. The winners will join twelve invited players, including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja, in the $1.5 million main event starting on 29 July. | Photos: Aditya Sur Roy / ChessBase India