Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s run at EWC 2026 has come to an end. The NAVI chess player finished in 5th–8th place, earned $75,000 in prize money, and contributed 200 points to the organization’s club standings.
In the quarterfinal match, Abdusattorov faced Denis Lazavik. After four consecutive draws, Armageddon decided the winner. The NAVI grandmaster gained an advantage even before the game began, as he had the opportunity to play with the black pieces.
However, Abdusattorov was unable to capitalize on this advantage—the decisive game ended in his opponent’s favor. The final score of the series was 2–3. Thus, the NAVI player finished the tournament in 5th–8th place for the second year in a row.
What was the Uzbek grandmaster’s run at the 2026 EWC
Nodirbek Abdusattorov kicked off his run at the 2026 Esports World Cup with a convincing victory. The NAVI player was placed in Group A, where he defeated Indian grandmaster Pranesh Munirethinam 2–0 in the upper bracket quarterfinals.
In the group stage, each match consisted of two games with a time control of 10 minutes, with no additional time. In the event of a draw, the winner was determined in an Armageddon tiebreaker.
In his next match, Abdusattorov faced Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who represents Weibo. The NAVI player secured another victory—this time also with a score of 2–0—which allowed him to advance to the playoffs.
In the playoffs, Nodirbek chose Denis Lazavik as his opponent. However, he was unable to gain the upper hand against his opponent. After four games in the main match, the score remained tied, so an Armageddon game decided the outcome. Ultimately, Lazavik won 3–2, ending Abdusattorov’s run in the tournament.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s performance earned NAVI another 200 points toward the EWC 2026 club standings. As a result, the Ukrainian club remains in third place in the overall rankings with 2,450 points.
This year, NAVI is also in contention for a $4 million prize pool based on the results of the club championship, provided it can hold onto third place at the end of the tournament. Previously, the team earned 1,000 points in Fatal Fury, 750 in MLBB, 500 in PUBG, and an additional 200 points in chess.
Representatives of the organization in other disciplines will attempt to improve NAVI’s position in the club standings. The club’s teams will also compete in CS2, CrossFire, and Trackmania at the tournament.