Oslo: Norwegian Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid won the Esports World Cup chess title for the second consecutive time after an undefeated run, defeating Belarusian Denis Lazavik of AG.AL in the grand final in two straight matches.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the two players had previously met four times, with all four games ending in draws before their final encounter. Carlsen maintained his undefeated record throughout the tournament, recording either a win or a draw in every match. He had previously won the title in the 2025 edition despite suffering three defeats during his campaign.
On his way to the final, Carlsen defeated French player Alireza Firouzja of Team Falcons in the semifinals, while Lazavik reached the final after defeating American Hikaru Nakamura, also of Team Falcons. In the third-place match, Nakamura defeated Firouzja 3-1 to secure third place and 500 points for Team Falcons in the Club Championship.
Following his victory, Carlsen expressed his delight at maintaining his undefeated record, saying that winning without a single loss reflected the success of his strategy based on caution and capitalizing on opportunities.