Magnus Carlsen wins Chess at Esports World Cup 2026 title for Team Liquid

Magnus Carlsen won the Chess at Esports World Cup 2026 title, securing a second consecutive Esports World Cup (EWC) trophy for Team Liquid after finishing the tournament without a loss.

Carlsen defeated AG.AL’s Denis Lazavik in two sets in the grand final. According to the event release, Lazavik drew four games against Carlsen but did not win a game in the final.

Carlsen went undefeated across the group stage and playoffs, winning or drawing each game. In the semifinals, he beat Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouza, a repeat matchup from the EWC 2025 grand final.

Lazavik, 19, reached the final after losing one match in the group stage to Team Falcons’ Hikaru Nakamura, then defeating Nakamura in the semifinals to advance. Carlsen said post-match: "I have played against Denis online many times before, and played more riskily, and have been punished for that," and added, "I tried to not give him too many obvious positional advantages, and to take whatever chances I could find."

Asked about moments where a loss could have happened, Carlsen said: "There were certainly some moments, but I'm thrilled to go undefeated, and that was a part of my strategy for sure. I wasn't trying to do anything out of the ordinary, other than to play pretty tight Chess and take whatever chances I could find. Not losing a game speaks both to the success of that strategy, and of course a little bit of randomness, but I'm happy with that."

In the third-place match, Team Falcons’ Hikaru Nakamura defeated Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja 3-1 in a six-game set, with the release noting the result secured Falcons third place and 500 Club Championship points.