The Esports World Cup 2026 launches in Paris with Group Stage A kicking off August 12. Carlsen leads a stacked lineup against Nakamura, Abdusattorov, Arjun, and Firouzja. Rapid chess at 10 minutes, no increment. This group has serious depth. Nakamura and Firouzja play sharp, tactical chess. Abdusattorov's speed is dangerous. The winner here gets major credibility heading into knockouts.