Magnus Carlsen beats Hans Niemann at Esports World Cup to reach playoffs

The defending EWC chess champion continued his unbeaten start to the group stage with a 1.5-0.5 victory over Niemann, having earlier beaten Andrey Esipenko by the same scoreline.

Carlsen won the opening game against Niemann with the white pieces before securing the draw he needed in game two to complete the victory.

The result means the Norwegian has won both of his matches at the group stage and advances directly to the eight-player playoffs, which begin on Friday, August 14.

Magnus Carlsen defeats Hans Niemann at Esports World Cup

(Getty Images)

Carlsen and Niemann's meeting was one of the most eye-catching matches of the opening day of the group stage given the history between two of chess' biggest names.

Niemann had earned his meeting with Carlsen by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in his opening match, while Carlsen overcame Esipenko.

The five-time classical world champion then took control against his American rival.

Playing with white in the opening game, Carlsen secured the victory before holding Niemann to a draw with black in the second to wrap up a 1.5-0.5 match win.

It completed an impressive opening day for Carlsen despite the 35-year-old admitting he was not feeling at his best.

Carlsen said he was "in no shape to play chess", but the defending champion nevertheless navigated two potentially difficult matches without needing an Armageddon tiebreak.

Who has qualified for the Esports World Cup chess playoffs?

Carlsen is one of four players to have already secured a place in the knockout stage.

Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja and Nodirbek Abdusattorov also won their opening two matches to progress directly to the last eight.

The remaining players have another opportunity to qualify through the lower brackets on Thursday, August 13, with four more playoff places still available.

The group stage features two groups of eight competing in double-elimination brackets. Matches consist of two games played at a 10+0 time control, with an Armageddon game used as a tiebreak when required.

Four players from each group ultimately advance to the playoffs.

How to watch Esports World Cup chess on DAZN

Fans can watch chess at the 2026 Esports World Cup live and for free on DAZN throughout the tournament.

Coverage is available globally, excluding China, South Korea, the CIS region, Ukraine, Malaysia, Hungary and Finland.

To watch live:

Download the DAZN app on your preferred device or visit DAZN.com.
Sign up for a free DAZN account, or log in if you already have one.
Search for Esports World Cup or browse the esports section.
Select the chess stream and start watching live.

The Esports World Cup can be streamed through the DAZN app on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, as well as through a web browser.