Magnus Carlsen Crowned Champion for the Second Time at the Esports World Cup Chess Championship
By Escore News
Paris – August 15, 2026
The Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, representing Team Liquid, has been crowned the champion of the Chess tournament at the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC 26) held in the French capital, Paris. Carlsen's victory marks his second consecutive title after an historic run in which he maintained an undefeated record throughout the tournament.
🏆 Finals and Absolute Dominance:
- Carlsen won the final match against young Belarusian player Denis Lazavik with a score of 2 - 0 in sets, at (3-1 and 3-1), securing first place.- Carlsen received a first-place prize of $250,000 and 1,000 points for his team, Team Liquid, in the Club Championship.
Denis Lazavik (representing AG.AL) finished in second place with a prize of $190,000 and 750 points.
📊 Final Tournament Ranking and Prizes:
| Position | Player | Team | Prize Money | Club Points (CC Points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 First (Champion) | Magnus Carlsen | Team Liquid | $250,000 | 1,000 |
| 🥈 Second | Denis Lazavik | AG.AL | $190,000 | 750 |
| 🥉 Third | Hikaru Nakamura | Team Falcons | $145,000 | 500 |
| 4️⃣ Fourth | Alireza Firouzja | Team Falcons | $115,000 | 300 (not counted) |
♟️ Third Place Battle and Direct Encounter Crisis:
The match for determining the third and fourth place featured dramatic events between Team Team Falcons teammates; American Hikaru Nakamura and Frenchman Alireza Firouzja, ending with Nakamura taking third place after Firouzja's withdrawal:
- Nakamura's Lead and Withdrawal: Nakamura led the match with a score of 3 - 1 before the game experienced a series of repeated connection issues, prompting Firouzja to leave the platform and withdraw from the encounter.- Waiting and Resolving: Nakamura waited on the board for nearly 20 minutes without knowing the reasons behind the crisis until the judges officially informed him that the match ended with his victory by withdrawal, securing third place.
📝 Hikaru Nakamura's Statement via X (X Statement):
Following the match and the angry comments he made during the quick media interviews, Hikaru Nakamura issued a clarifying statement and official apology through his personal account:
"Today’s match with Alireza was not good for either of us. It was a chaotic situation due to multiple disconnects, followed by Alireza's unexpected departure from the platform. I was kept waiting for 20 minutes without the slightest information until I was finally told the match was recorded as a win by default. During that time, I received no technical information, and I could not access Facebook, my phone, or anyone from the outside to update me on the details, and I mistakenly assumed the issue was with Chess.com as the screen first displayed a disconnect. After the withdrawal decision, I was immediately taken for interviews and expressed my anger towards the platform.
I now know I was wrong; the technical crisis was on EWC's side and disrupted several tournaments, not just Chess. I wish I had been informed of this before the interviews instead of hastily drawing incorrect conclusions and blaming Chess.com, and I apologize to them. I am not under any pressure from the 'chess mafia' as rumored, but I certainly misjudged the situation while under the influence of anger."
🔗 For more details and live results: click here
