Former World Champion Magnus Carlsen will not participate in the Grand Chess Tour 2026 series. He has chosen instead to compete in the chess tournament held as part of the Esports World Cup, whose dates overlap with the GCT.
The Grand Chess Tour will run from May 3 to August 28 across four locations. Meanwhile, Chess at the Esports World Cup 2026 is scheduled for August 11–15, making it impossible to take part in both events simultaneously.
Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura shared this information during his livestream. According to him, he himself, as well as Alireza Firouzja and Magnus Carlsen, opted for the Esports World Cup due to the scheduling conflict between the two events.
The decision may also have been influenced by the difference in prize pools. The chess tournament at EWC 2026 will feature a $1.5 million prize pool, while the GCT series offers $100,000.
As a reminder, Wolves Esports were denied visas for participation in the Salt Lake City Major.