19-year-old Pranesh M, who helped Vaishali in her Women's Candidates win, joins S8UL ahead of Esports World Cup

NEW DELHI: S8UL has signed rising Indian chess Grandmaster Pranesh M ahead of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, adding another promising youngster to its growing chess roster. The 19-year-old joins fellow Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram as the organisation prepares for the global event later this year.Chess will return to the Esports World Cup after making its debut last year, with the tournament scheduled from August 11 to 15 and carrying a prize pool of $1.5 million (around Rs 14 crore). Qualification spots are still open through multiple events, including the Champions Chess Tour standings and DreamHack Atlanta. Nihal currently sits seventh in the tour standings, while Pranesh is ranked 15th, making them the top two Indian players in contention so far.Pranesh’s signing comes shortly after he grabbed attention for playing a key role in R Vaishali’s historic triumph at the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. Vaishali became the first Indian woman to win the prestigious event and secure a place in the Women’s World Chess Championship against reigning champion Ju Wenjun.After her victory, Vaishali revealed that Pranesh had travelled with her during the tournament to help her stay relaxed during tense moments. Speaking to ChessBase India, she credited coach RB Ramesh and WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy for bringing him into the team.“It was basically Ramesh sir and Aarthie aunty’s idea to take Pranesh to Candidates because he is a very nice and funny person to be around,” Vaishali said. “Even after tough games, he would just say ‘It was ok akka,’ and that really helped me stay calm.”ALSO READ: Behind Vaishali's Candidates glory is a 19-year-old boy named M PraneshShe added that Pranesh also assisted with preparation and helped create a positive atmosphere away from the board. Pranesh earned his first GM norm in 2020 and became India’s 79th Grandmaster after winning the Rilton Cup in 2023.