Hong Kong will host the fourth edition of FIDE’s World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, from 17 to 21 June 2026. Bringing together top pros like Magnus Carlsen and amateur players in a fun, high-stakes format, the event is expanding its global reach to East Asia for the first time.

After Dusseldorf in 2023, Astana in 2024 and London in 2025, the World Rapid and Blitz Teams heads to Hong Kong, giving chess a new global stage.

Organised by FIDE, the event features rapid and blitz championships, scored with match points. Each team must include at least one female player and one recreational player, defined as someone who has never reached 2000 Elo in standard, rapid or blitz.

“We are proud and delighted to bring the fourth edition of the event to the world. As we have seen in previous WRB Teams, this is more than a tournament. The competition attracts players and fans from different cultural and professional backgrounds, helping build connections and creating opportunities,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said.

A mix of fun and high stakes competition, the tournament attracts teams from the corporate and sports worlds across the globe.

WR Chess which has dominated the event since its launch, has already announced the key players in its team, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hou Yifan and others.

In recent years Hong Kong has become a serious international host for large open and regional events. The Hong Kong International Open Chess Championship in 2025 drew more than 400 players, including more than 80 titled participants. Most recently, the city hosted the 2025 Eastern Asia Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

“This is the first time Hong Kong will host a major global chess event and it is important to us to use the opportunity to promote the tournament, chess and the host city to a new audience,” Dvorkovich added.

The winners of the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships since 2023

In 2023, the inaugural FIDE World Rapid Team Championship featured rapid only with no blitz. It was a 12 round Swiss event, won by the WR Chess Team.

In 2024, the event expanded to include blitz. The rapid remained a 12 round Swiss and was won by Al Ain ACMG from the UAE, while the blitz debuted in a two-stage format, with pool round robins, followed by a 16-team knockout. WR Chess won the blitz.

In 2025, the structure stayed the same. Rapid was a 12 round Swiss, won by Team MGD1. Blitz followed the same format of pool stage and a 16 team knockout and was again won by WR Chess Team.

More details about the regulations, prize fund and competition will be announced in due course.

With the publication of the official regulations, preparations are now fully underway for the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026, which will take place in Hong Kong from 16 to 22 June. Following successful editions in Düsseldorf, Astana, and London, the championship returns with the concept that has made it popular among players and fans: mixed teams combining elite professionals with recreational players competing side by side in rapid and blitz formats.

Team composition

Every match is played on six boards and must meet the following requirements:

This structure allows teams to combine world-class grandmasters with club players, creating a format where amateurs can share the same stage as some of the strongest players in the world.

Tournament schedule

The competition will begin with the World Team Rapid Chess Championship, followed by the World Team Blitz Chess Championship later in the week. Full details of the playing schedule and prize fund are available in the official regulations.

Registration

Team registration for the championship will open next week. Clubs, companies, federations, and independent teams from around the world will be eligible to enter.

Further information on the registration process will be published closer to the opening date.

Top players expected

The event has consistently attracted many of the world’s strongest players. According to WR Chess, Magnus Carlsen is expected to return to the championship this year as part of their team, adding further star power to the competition.

In previous editions, the tournament has featured numerous top players competing alongside amateurs and rising talents, producing a dynamic atmosphere rarely seen in traditional elite events.

Regulations (PDF)

Official website: https://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com/

Amateur teams to compete alongside the elite

Alongside the main championship, Hong Kong will also host the inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, running from 16 to 22 June 2026. The event is designed specifically for amateur players and will allow club teams, friends, and local groups to take part in the same international chess festival.

Open to teams of six players who have never achieved a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher, the tournament will be played with a rapid time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment. The competition will feature a two-stage format, culminating in final matches to determine the champion.

By staging the Amateur Rapid Cup alongside the elite team championship, players will experience the atmosphere of a major international event while competing for their own title.

With the regulations now published and teams beginning to form their lineups, attention turns to Hong Kong, where several days of fast-paced team chess will bring together players from across the world.

Register here: https://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com/registration/

Regulations (PDF)

Official event website: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com

Contact: hkchessevent@gmail.com

The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place in Hong Kong from 16 to 22 June 2026, and team registration is now open!

Following three successful editions in Düsseldorf (2023), Astana (2024), and London (2025), the championship returns with an exciting format: mixed teams where elite professionals and recreational players compete side by side across rapid and blitz events. Every match is played on six boards, and each team must include at least one female player and at least one recreational player, defined as someone who has never achieved a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher in standard, rapid, or blitz.

This unique team composition has consistently produced some of the most compelling chess of recent years. In 2024, Al-Ain ACMG UAE claimed the Rapid title in Astana, while WR Chess Team, led by Magnus Carlsen, took the Blitz crown. Last year in London, Team MGD1, featuring Arjun Erigaisi, won the Rapid championship, and WR Chess successfully defended their Blitz title for the second consecutive year, with Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave all delivering decisive performances.

It is very rare to witness and play alongside such Super Grandmaster teams on the chess calendar and the 2026 edition in Hong Kong is already shaping up to be the strongest yet. WR Chess Team have confirmed a formidable roster, with Magnus Carlsen returning to board 1 alongside Fabiano Caruana on board 2 and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave also joining the lineup, while their women’s boards remain unchanged with Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk. With reigning Rapid champions MGD1, Hexamind, and other leading teams expected to return, the competition promises to be fierce across both formats.


Format and regulations

The FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship will be played as a 12-round Swiss tournament across three days (June 17-19), with four rounds per day and a time control of 15 minutes for the whole game plus a 10-second increment per move. The FIDE World Team Blitz Chess Championship follows on June 20 and 21, beginning with pool stages before moving to a knockout format for the top 16 teams, with a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move.

The total prize fund across both championships is €500,000. The Rapid Champion team will receive €110,000, with the Blitz champion team taking home €75,000.

Here’s how the prize money is allocated:

Additional category prizes are available for teams in the “Under 2400” and “Under 2200” average rating brackets. Full regulations, including the playing schedule, time controls, and prize fund details, have been published and are available on the official website.


How to register

Registration deadline: May 15, 2026, 12:00 pm Lausanne time
Entry Fee: €1,000 per team, payable by the registration deadline.

Each registration must include the team name, the captain’s full name and FIDE ID, the full names and FIDE IDs of all team members, and any visa-related information required by the Organiser.

Teams and federations are encouraged to register early, as interest in the championship continues to grow with each edition. The playing venue capacity is limited and only 42 teams can take part – 10 based on their highest ratings and 26 based on earliest registration, with six wild card teams provided by the organizers.

Registration form: https://formdesigner.pro/form/view/243338

Regulations (PDF)

Contact: hkchessevent@gmail.com

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are popular amongst players and fans alike, offering a unique space for top Grandmasters, rising stars, and chess enthusiasts to play together and fight for World titles.

FIDE is pleased to announce the opening of media accreditation to for the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026.

• Dates: June 16 – 20, 2026
• Location: Hong Kong, China

The World Rapid and Blitz Teams, which FIDE launched in 2023, is a unique chess competition where elite professionals, recreational players – both men and women - compete on the same team in a serious world event. With the knockout format and rapid and blitz games, the event is naturally built for spectators.

The tournament is also growing at remarkable pace, drawing global chess spotlight as well as top world players such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Hou Yifan, and others.

The FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship will be played as a 12-round Swiss tournament across three days (June 17-19), with four rounds per day and a time control of 15 minutes for the whole game plus a 10-second increment per move. The FIDE World Team Blitz Chess Championship follows on June 20 and 21, beginning with pool stages before moving to a knockout format for the top 16 teams, with a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move.

Media registration form: https://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com/mediaregistration

We invite all media representatives wishing to cover the tournaments to submit their accreditation applications via the media registration form above.

Accreditation is open for all members of the written press, photographic press, online media, and writers and photographers working for publications and/or websites of the FIDE National Member Federations.

Accredited event media will collect their badges onsite at the events. A valid travel document containing a photo must be presented to receive media accreditation.

The event organisers will ensure a comfortable working environment for all Accredited Media, providing a range of facilities and services at the level established at major FIDE events.

We look forward to your coverage of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026!

The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place from 16 to 22 June in Hong Kong, marking the event’s first appearance in East Asia. Since its inaugural edition in Düsseldorf in 2023, this championship has grown into one of the most anticipated events on the calendar, bringing together world-class grandmasters and rising talents in a format unlike any other in competitive chess. It is one of the rare occasions in international chess where world-class players can be seen forming their own squads and playing as a team, something that is almost never seen outside of the Chess Olympiad.

Top teams have already confirmed their participation, featuring some of the biggest names in the game, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, alongside the most recent FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates winners, Javokhir Sindarov and Vaishali Rameshbabu.

The Rapid Championship will be played as a 12-round Swiss tournament across three days, with four rounds per day and a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment. The Blitz Championship follows on 20 and 21 June, beginning with pool stages before moving to a knockout format for the top 16 teams, with a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment. The total prize fund across both championships is €500,000, with the Rapid champion team receiving €110,000 and the Blitz champion team taking home €75,000.

Registration is well underway, and a number of formidable teams have already confirmed their participation.

WR Chess return as defending Blitz champions with a stellar lineup: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Andrey Esipenko, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Hou Yifan. Carlsen and Caruana playing on the same team is a rare sight, and WR Chess will once again be the team to beat.

Uzbekistan, captained by former FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, bring Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, Mukhiddin Madaminov, alongside Afruza Khamdamova and Umida Omonova. Sindarov arrives in exceptional form after winning the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament with a round to spare. Seeing him compete alongside Abdusattorov and his Uzbek teammates offers a preview ahead of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand later this year, where Uzbekistan will be amongst the favourites on home soil.

Dragon Chilling bring together former World Champion Ding Liren and reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun in a powerhouse Chinese squad that also features Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Lu Shanglei, Bai Jinshi, and Lei Tingjie. The team name itself is a playful nod to the viral “Ding Chilling” moment during the 2024 World Championship match.

Hexamind Chess Team return after an impressive second-place finish in the Rapid at last year’s edition in London. This time, their lineup includes Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Volodar Murzin, and Kateryna Lagno.

Chessgurukul feature Vaishali Rameshbabu, fresh from her historic victory at the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates, playing alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh Chithambaram, Pranesh Munirethinam, and Karthikeyan Murali. Vaishali became the first Indian woman to win the Candidates and will challenge Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship, meaning both challenger and champion will be competing in Hong Kong on rival teams.

Chess United bring five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand together with former Women’s World Rapid Champion Humpy Koneru, Jorden van Foreest, and Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara. Their roster also includes Roman Shogdzhiev, the youngest International Master in history at the age of 10, and Tunde Onakaya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa and Guinness World Record holder for the longest marathon chess game.

Several other strong teams have also registered, including Chessnut Nova (featuring Raunak Sadhwani, Daniel Dardha, and MarcAndria Maurizzi), Global Ramblers (with Alexei Shirov and Alexander Motylev), and the Farm – Valera Chess Training team (with the legendary Vasyl Ivanchuk). Teams representing Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Spain, Australia, and many more regions are also set to compete, reinforcing truly international scope of this event.

Register your team

The registration deadline is May 15, 2026, 12:00 pm Lausanne time. The playing venue capacity is limited to 42 teams, with places allocated based on the highest team ratings and earliest registration, alongside six wildcard entries from the organisers. The entry fee is €1,000 per team.

Each team must consist of a minimum of six and a maximum of nine players, including at least one female player and at least one recreational player. Full regulations and the registration form are available on the official event website.

Registration form: https://formdesigner.pro/form/view/243338
Regulations (PDF)
Contact: hkchessevent@gmail.com

Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz and Michal Walusza

Hong Kong, April 29, 2026 – Organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation Limited, the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 will be held in Hong Kong for the very first time, taking place from June 17 to 21, 2026, at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

The tournament, which establishes Hong Kong as the epicenter of the chess world, will convene 42 teams and more than 300 world-class players from across the globe, all competing for a total prize purse of €500,000. The event is anticipated to attract players and tourists from more than 50 countries, significantly boosting the development of the city’s sports tourism and related industries and further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a centre for major international sports events.

The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships also marks its inaugural appearance in East Asia. In gathering the world’s elite players in Hong Kong, the tournament promises a showcase of high-level matchups, defined by its rapid pace and dynamic complexity. For audiences, it is an opportunity to witness first-hand the strategic brilliance and real-time decision-making of global masters, offering an immersive insight into the captivating world of international chess.

Best grandmasters to gather in Hong Kong

Around 50 of the top 100 players, from both the men’s and women’s categories, have confirmed their attendance, making this the strongest field in the event’s history. Among them are seven of the world’s top ten male players and four of the world’s top ten female players, including current World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and women’s World No. 1 Hou Yifan.

Reigning Blitz champion WR Chess Team has confirmed that Magnus Carlsen will be returning to board 1, alongside Fabiano Caruana on board 2, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave also joining the lineup. Their women’s boards remain unchanged, with Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk. Six Hong Kong teams will compete, providing local players with a rare and invaluable opportunity to compete alongside the world’s elite.

Women’s World No. 1 Ms. Hou Yifan remarked, “I am eagerly anticipating the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Hong Kong. This is more than just a matchup of minds featuring the world’s elite. It is a pivotal milestone that will elevate the profile of chess across Greater China. As a premier international city with world-class facilities and a vibrant community, Hong Kong is perfectly positioned to bring its unique vibrance to this prestigious tournament.”

Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), said, “FIDE is truly delighted to learn that Hong Kong is hosting the tournament. In recent years, we have watched your city grow into a genuine powerhouse of the game. One of the key pillars of this revival has been the hard work and enthusiasm of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation. We believe Hong Kong is the perfect stage for expanding this collaboration, and we look forward to seeing you all in Hong Kong this June.”

Geoffrey Kao, Honorary President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, said, “We are honoured to partner with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to bring this world-class tournament to Hong Kong. This event gathers the world’s most distinguished chess elite. While past editions have predominantly been held in Europe, its relocation to Hong Kong this year signifies a historic shift, bringing the global chess spotlight to Asia—and specifically to Hong Kong – on an unprecedented scale. With participants expected from over 50 countries, the tournament will be broadcast globally via major media and live-streaming platforms, allowing millions of spectators to discover and engage with our city. This is more than just a sporting spectacle; it serves as a vital window to showcase Hong Kong’s internationalism, vibrant dynamism, and unique urban charm to the world, further solidifying Hong Kong’s status as the Premier Hub for Mega Events.”

George TSOI, JP, Commissioner for Sports, Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, said, “Today marks a significant milestone for our city’s sporting calendar as we announce the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026. We are excited to welcome hundreds of elite grandmasters. By hosting this prestigious event, we are providing a platform for local athletes to sharpen their skills on home soil, and for the broader community to engage with and enjoy the sport. I would like to express my gratitude to FIDE and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation for their relentless efforts in bringing the Championships to Hong Kong.”

M Mark Event

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 has been awarded “M” Mark status by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolizing an intense, spectacular, and signature event in the territory’s sports calendar, which helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events.

Mixed team format with total prize fund of €500,000

Following three successful editions in Düsseldorf (2023), Astana (2024), and London (2025), the championship returns with an exciting format: mixed teams where elite professionals and recreational players compete side by side across rapid and blitz events. Every match is played on six boards, and each team must include at least one female player and at least one recreational player, defined as someone who has never achieved a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher in standard, rapid, or blitz.

The FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship will be played as a 12-round Swiss tournament across three days (June 17-19), with four rounds per day and a time control of 15 minutes for the whole game plus a 10-second increment per move. The FIDE World Team Blitz Chess Championship follows on June 20 and 21, beginning with pool stages before moving to a knockout format for the top 16 teams, with a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move.

The total prize fund across both championships is €500,000. The Rapid Champion team will receive €110,000, with the Blitz Champion team taking home €75,000.

Tickets now on sale – enjoy exclusive early bird discount

The public can now secure their tickets via the official ticketing platform www.urbtix.hk. One-day tickets range from HK$250 to HK$380. Package Deals are also available: 3-day Rapid Chess package (June 17-19) HK$688; 2-day Blitz Chess package (June 20-21) HK$538; 5-day All Access package (June 17-21) HK$1,088. An early bird discount of HK$100 is available for any package purchased on or before May 17.

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong from June 17 to 21, marking the first time the event is hosted in East Asia. With 42 teams and more than 300 players confirmed, including seven of the world’s top ten male players and four of the world’s top ten female players, the championship brings the global chess spotlight to Hong Kong on an unprecedented scale.The field features World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and women’s World No. 1 Hou Yifan, both returning with reigning Blitz champions WR Chess. Fans will also witness the most recent Candidates winners up close, Javokhir Sindarov and Vaishali Rameshbabu, who arrive in Hong Kong fresh from securing their World Championship matches in Cyprus.

You can now secure your seats through the official ticketing platform, URBTIX, and choose between single-day tickets and multi-day packages.

Single-day tickets

• 17 June, Rapid Day 1: HK$250
• 18 June, Rapid Day 2: HK$250
• 19 June, Rapid Day 3: HK$300
• 20 June, Blitz Day 1: HK$300
• 21 June, Blitz Day 2: HK$380

Package event passes

• Full Rapid Pass (17-19 June): HK$688
• Full Blitz Pass (20-21 June): HK$538
• 5-Day All-Access Pass (17-21 June): HK$1,088

Early bird offer

A discount of HK$100 is available on any package event pass purchased on or before 17 May. Terms and conditions apply.

Tournament Village open to the public, free of charge

Alongside the main competition, a dedicated Tournament Village will be open to the public free of charge, welcoming visitors of all ages. The Village is divided into three thematic zones covering traditional mind sports, emerging intellectual activities, and tabletop gaming, offering something for every generation.

The event will also host the 2nd Asian Mind Sports Carnival, organised in conjunction with the Asian Mind Sports Association. The Carnival is set to bring together over 1,000 competitors from across the continent, taking part in more than ten disciplines including chess, bridge, Go, Xiangqi, and the Rubik’s Cube.

Book your seats

Tickets are available now at www.urbtix.hk/event-detail/15075.

With less than a month to go to the biggest World Rapid and Blitz team event, the lineups have been revealed. Altogether, 43 teams and more than 300 players are confirmed for the fourth edition of the WTRB.

The leading teams from previous editions, WR Chess, Hexamind, and Team MGD1, all return with stellar lineups. But Hong Kong will also feature notable newcomers, including the all-Chinese Dragon Chilling squad led by Ding Liren.

WR will be the most eye-catching team in Hong Kong and the top favourites for the first spot, having won the inaugural Rapid Championship in 2023 and the Blitz events in 2024 and 2025. Their biggest asset is Magnus Carlsen – currently the only 2800-rated player in the world. Featuring Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Hou Yifan, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, the lineup resembles a list of top-rated players in the world.

WR’s biggest rivals by rating are Hexamind, with elite players such as Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Alireza Firouzja, Vidit Gujrathi, Kateryna Lagno, and – the 2024 World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin. In 2025, they took silver in the Rapid and bronze in the Blitz in London.

Another big contender will be India’s Team MGD1, who has been one of the most consistent sides in the World Rapid and Blitz Teams. In 2023 they took the bronze in Rapid, took silver in the Blitz in 2024 and then won the 2025 World Rapid Team title in London, with 21 match points from 12 rounds. Bringing the core of India’s new generation, the team features some of the most notable young names in chess today – Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Pranav V, Leon Luke Mendonca, as well as Harika Dronavalli.

Another notable Indian-rooted squad in Hong Kong is Chessgurukul. Their lineup includes super-strong young Indian GMs such as Praggnanandhaa R, Aravindh Chithambaram, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Pranesh M. Built around players closely linked to the Chess Gurukul school and to RB Ramesh’s wider influence on Indian chess, this team can spring a surprise in any match and should be closely watched.

Dragon Chilling has one of the most attractive national-style lineups, led by Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun, and Lei Tingjie. The biggest news is the return of former World Champion Ding Liren, who has largely retreated from the chess world after his loss to Gukesh in the 2024 match for the world crown. The World Rapid and Blitz Teams in Hong Kong will be the first time since 2024 that Ding plays in a major international event with super-elite players.

Another team from Asia – with a strong track record in the WRBT – is Kazchess, standing out with the heavyweights such as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Alexander Grischuk, Richard Rapport, Wang Hao (the winner of the inaugural Grand Swiss, in 2019), Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Kazybek Nogerbek.

Uzbekistan has a very serious squad built around Nodirbek Abdusattorov, World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov, as well as their top players Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and one of the top players from the early 2000s and former FIDE World Champion, Rustam Kasimdzhanov.

Chess United are especially notable because of Viswanathan Anand, Humpy Koneru, Jorden van Foreest, and – the recently confirmed second youngest GM in chess history – Faustino Oro.

Endgame.AI should not be overlooked either, with Hans Niemann, Leinier Dominguez, Amin Tabatabaei, Alexey Sarana, Denis Lazavik, and Zhu Jiner.

The fast chess quality is also very high. Most of the top players of FIDE’s May 2026 Blitz ranking appear in this approved list, with Carlsen, Firouzja, Arjun, Artemiev, Vachier-Lagrave, Aronian, Anand, and Caruana all present.

WR Chess is the glamour team of the 2026 WRB Teams event, but several rival squads have enough star power to challenge them. The fact that teams have to include not only pros but also recreational players whose performance can vary makes it hard to predict anything but a big show in Hong Kong.

The full list of teams and lineups is available on the event website: Registered teams


About the Hong Kong WTRBC edition

The 2026 edition will take place in Hong Kong during the event week of 16 to 22 June. The competition days are scheduled for 17 to 21 June at Queen Elizabeth Stadium. Rapid will be played as a Swiss event over 12 rounds from 17 to 19 June, with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. Blitz follows on 20 and 21 June, beginning with pools before a 16 team knockout. The blitz time control is 3 minutes plus 2 seconds.

The total prize fund is €500,000. Rapid receives €310,000, while blitz receives €190,000. The rapid champions will earn €110,000, and the blitz champions €75,000.

The other major addition is the inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, which will run alongside the main championship. That gives the 2026 edition a broader festival shape and reinforces the event’s central idea of bringing elite and amateur chess closer together.


About the Word Team Rapid & Blitz Championships

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships began in 2023 in Düsseldorf. The first edition featured rapid chess only. Blitz was added in 2024, turning it into the current two-title event. Three editions have been completed so far, in Düsseldorf, Astana, and London. Hong Kong 2026 will be the fourth.

Clubs, companies, federations, and independent groups to enter the competition. Every match is played over six boards. Each team must include at least one female player and at least one recreational player, defined as someone who has never reached a FIDE rating of 2000 in standard, rapid, or blitz.

The rapid title was won by WR Chess in 2023, Al-Ain ACMG UAE in 2024, and Team MGD1 in 2025. Blitz was added to the programme in 2024. WR Chess won that title in both 2024 and 2025.

A host of prodigies and rising chess stars are set to take part in the 2026 edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Hong Kong this June. While some have already made their mark in international events, for many emerging talents, the Hong Kong event will be a chance to make their mark on a global chess stage.

FIDE and ISCF declared 2026 the Year of Chess in Education, with a focus on integrating chess into school curricula and supporting student development. Hong Kong will be a live version of that idea, where young players who grew up through schools, clubs, academies, and online training now compete on the same stage as chess grandees such as Carlsen, Anand, Ding Liren, Hou Yifan, and Ju Wenjun.

In his address to the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich spoke about more youth and school chess, more rated local tournaments, and Hong Kong’s wider ambition as an Asian chess hub. For a city aiming to strengthen its chess culture, the fast-paced World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship is a chance to link Hong Kong with the next generation of Asian and world chess players.

Hong Kong is also the right city to showcase the shift of chess energy towards Asia. In recent years, India, Uzbekistan, China, and Kazakhstan have all won major medals and trophies, often led by young players. The fourth edition of the WRB Teams will test that strength again.

Many of the players taking part in this year’s event – although in their early 20s – are already known to the wider chess world (Praggnanandhaa R, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, and Raunak Sadhwani, to name a few). But this is not a story of “genius children”; rather, it is about the painstaking hard work, training system, coaches, and competition from an early age that each player aiming for the top has to pass. Hong Kong is one of those arenas where young stars will test themselves against the best, as one of the fastest team events on the planet becomes a classroom without walls.

Here are some of the young players to watch in Hong Kong:


Faustino Oro (born in 2013)

All eyes in Hong Kong will be on the second-youngest player to ever achieve the title of Grandmaster – Faustino Oro. Born in Argentina in 2013, he has become one of the fastest-rising players the chess world has ever seen, breaking records, defeating top world players, and setting up what could become a major career.

In Hong Kong, Oro will be playing for Chess United, alongside former World Champion Viswanathan Anand and one of the top women players in the world, Humpy Koneru, who shaped the game before the Argentinian was even born.


Roman Shogdzhiev (born in 2015)

Roman Shogdzhiev is the youngest player in the tournament. Born in 2015, he became the youngest International Master in history in 2025.

While he might not be that well known in the wider circles, Shogdzhiev is not a novice among GMs, having defeated five of them at the 2023 WRB when he was just eight. That same year he was the World Under-8 Champion.

In Hong Kong, he gives Chess United another youth angle beside Oro.


Volodar Murzin (born in 2006)

Many will argue that Volodar Murzin is no longer a “rising star” but an established elite player, already having a world championship title under his belt. He won the World Rapid championship in New York in 2024, with an unbeaten record of seven wins and six draws. Still not even 20, he has more to achieve, and Hong Kong will be one of the places to do that.

Murzin will be playing for Hexamind, one of the strongest teams in the competition.


Pranav V (born in 2006)

Pranav Venkatesh began playing chess at six and has since grown to one of India’s main junior players. In recent years he won several strong opens, capping it with a victory at the 2025 World Junior Championship with 9/11, where he took the title without a single defeat.

Pranav comes to Hong Kong as part of a large Indian contingent of very strong players who have been dominating top events in recent years. He will be playing for the defending rapid team champions, Team MGD1.


Leon Luke Mendonca (born in 2006)

Having earned his GM title in 2021, Mendonca’s biggest success to date was the 2024 victory at the Tata Steel Challengers, which gave him a place in the 2025 Masters.

He is part of Team MGD1 with other Indian stars – Pranav, Arjun and Nihal. That gives the team one of the clearest youth angles in Hong Kong, with several Indian players who came through the post-Anand chess boom.


Denis Lazavik (born in 2006)

Lazavik earned his IM title in 2021 and his GM title in 2022. He participated in two youth Olympiads and also took part in the 2022 WRB where he finished 16^th in the Blitz.

In August 2025, he started to show his real flair, winning the Masters tournament at the 31st Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival with a score of 7/9. Earlier this year he came third in the Speed Chess Championship, after losing to Carlsen in the semifinals and beating Nakamura in the consolation match. In April he won the Karpov International Chess Tournament with 6/9.

He plays for Endgame.AI, alongside seasoned heavyweights Hans Niemann, Leinier Dominguez, Amin Tabatabaei, and Alexey Sarana. For a rapid and blitz team tournament, Lazavik is especially relevant because his reputation is tied closely to speed chess and online elite events.


Daniel Dardha (born in 2005)

Daniel Dardha is Belgium’s leading young player. The Belgian champion at the age of just 13, and the youngest ever Belgian GM (at 15), Dardha has appeared in several prominent events, playing well on youth/prodigy boards.

In Hong Kong he will be playing for Chessnut Nova with Raunak, Maurizzi, and Lu Miaoyi. That team has one of the clearest “future of chess” lineups in the event, with young players from several national schools.


Marc’Andria Maurizzi (born in 2007)

The youngest Frenchman ever to become GM, Marc’Andria Maurizzi is the winner of the 2023 World Junior Championship and a participant of many strong chess tournaments in recent years. In 2025 he attracted international attention twice: after triumphing in the Djerba Masters with 7.5/9 and, in August that year, winning the French National Championship.

He plays for Chessnut Nova. He brings a Western European junior champion thread into a field otherwise dominated, among the youth, by India, Uzbekistan, China, and Kazakhstan.


Kazybek Nogerbek (born in 2004)

A representative of the new chess wave from Kazakhstan, Nogerbek is the 2024 World Junior Chess Champion. With a peak FIDE rating of 2544, he is ranked among Kazakhstan’s top players and has scored against elite players in international events.

He will be playing for Kazchess, alongside elite veterans such as Alexander Grischuk and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.


Pranesh M (born in 2006)

Pranesh Munirethinam became India’s 79th grandmaster after winning the Rilton Cup in Stockholm in 2023. With appearances in several strong tournaments – including a victory at the 2025 Chennai Grand Masters Challengers – he has confirmed himself as a strong and steady player, deserving to stand shoulder to shoulder with his more senior compatriots.

He plays for Chessgurukul, a team built around the wider influence of R.B. Ramesh and Indian training culture around the Chennai academy, which produced Praggnanandhaa, Chithambaram, Karthikeyan Murali, among others. The team is not just a collection of strong players but a living example of a dedicated training model taking children from beginner level to elite players.


Ilamparthi A.R. (born in 2009)

Ilamparthi A.R. is one of the younger Indian grandmasters in Hong Kong. Born in Chennai in 2009, he has been visible on the Indian youth circuit for years.

In 2019, when he was nine years old and rated just 1920, he defeated GM Harsha Bharathakoti in the opening round of the Delhi GM International. That was his first win over a GM and a sign of his strength.

His breakthrough on the world youth stage happened in 2022 when he won the Under-14 World Youth Championship, earning an IM norm. In late 2025 he became the 90th Indian to achieve the Grandmaster title.

He plays for the team of Chess Thulir.


Lu Miaoyi (born in 2010)

Lu Miaoyi is one of the strongest girls in world chess at the moment. She is a Chinese IM and WGM, qualifying for the IM title at 14. Her biggest result so far came in May 2024, when she won the Chinese Women’s Championship in Xinhua, Jiangsu. She tied for first on 9/11 with Ni Shiqun, then captured the title in a blitz playoff. Her mother, WGM Xu Yuanyuan, had won the same title 21 years earlier.

She plays for Chessnut Nova, captained by Indian GM Swapnil S. Dhopade.


Alua Nurman (born in 2007)

Alua Nurman, IM and WGM from Kazakhstan, will arrive in Hong Kong as one of the strongest young players in the field.

She already has serious experience, having helped her national squad win silver at the 2023 Women’s World Team and at the 2024 Women’s Chess Olympiad. In 2025 she won the Asian Women’s Blitz Championship.

In Hong Kong, she plays for Barys, giving the event another strong Kazakh youth story beyond Kazybek Nogerbek and Kazchess.


Afruza Khamdamova (born in 2009)

Khamdamova is one of Uzbekistan’s strongest female players and one of the symbols of the country’s chess rise. A two-time winner of the World Youth Championship (in the U-14 category in 2023 and the U-16 in 2024), she is a WGM and one of the standout performers at the 2024 World Rapid in New York.

In Hong Kong she will be playing for team Uzbekistan, alongside Abdusattorov and Sindarov, the country’s two strongest players.


Umida Omonova (born in 2006)

Another strong prodigy from Uzbekistan, Umida Omonova, has recently been approved for her Women GM title, and she has a solid rating of around 2300 points in all three formats.

She first rose to international prominence at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup when she eliminated France’s Sophie Milliet in a rapid and blitz tiebreak. This experience will definitely be of help in Hong Kong, as her team, led by Abdusattorov and Sindarov, has strong chances to reach the top.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Michal Walusza, Rafal Oleksiewicz, Lennart Ootes, Anna Shtourman and ChessBase India

By Milan Dinic

From 16 to 22 June, the crème de la crème of the chess world will gather in Hong Kong for the fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, alongside the inaugural World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, with both events featuring more than 800 participants.

Since its launch in 2023, the FIDE WRBT has become one of the most popular global fast chess team events, where top world players, men and women, prodigies and non-professionals, come together in a mixed-team format to compete for two world crowns.

After the inaugural edition in Dusseldorf in 2023, where 36 teams played, each year the number has grown – 38 in Astana in 2024 and then London made a leap with nearly 60 teams in 2025. Hong Kong has raised the ceiling higher, with 48 teams with nearly 400 players, as well as the first World Team Amateur Cup which is expected to have more than 400 participants.

“The size of this event is not only in numbers. The field includes world champions, elite grandmasters, leading women players, juniors, club players, corporate officials, and recreational players. That mix gives the FIDE WRBT a unique place in chess,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.

This is the first time the WRBT is coming to East Asia, where it will be hosted jointly by FIDE and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation.

“Hosting the tournament in Hong Kong is a statement to the capacities and the ambitions of our chess federation, showing that we want to be taken seriously as a chess city,” said Geoffrey Kao, the Honorary President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation.

The timing of the event is strong. Chess power has been shifting towards Asia in recent years, with India, China, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan being central to elite chess. Hong Kong sits naturally between these chess cultures, while still being a global business and travel hub. That fits the WRB Teams well, because this event is not only for national teams. It brings together clubs, sponsors, companies, academies, and private teams.

“I am very proud of my team for developing this unique event. This is not only about enjoyment and great chess but also about bringing people of different chess skills as well as different backgrounds and outlooks on life together under one roof. As a result, the event is also a fair where people meet, exchange ideas, and connect on a personal and professional level, leading to new opportunities for everyone. That is exactly what we want to give to the chess community,” Dvorkovich said.


Key facts about the 2026 FIDE Team WRB Championships

The main competition days are 17 to 21 June at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. The field has 48 teams and nearly 400 players confirmed.

Each team has six to nine players, plus a captain who may play. Each team must include at least one female player and one recreational player. The recreational player is a player who has never reached 2000 Elo in standard, rapid, or blitz, or is unrated, up to the March 2026 rating lists. Every match is played on six boards, with at least one female player and one recreational player in the lineup. They must be two different players.

Rapid championship

The World Team Rapid takes place on the 17, 18 and 19 June. It will feature a 12-round Swiss system. Scoring will be based on match points: two for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.
The time control for the World Team Rapid is 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move from move one.
Four rounds will be played each day, starting from 2 PM local time.

Blitz championship

The World Team Blitz takes place on 20 and 21 June.
Unlike the rapid, the blitz competition features two stages:
1) a pool stage featuring round robins
2) a 16-team knockout for the qualification to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final
The time control is three minutes plus two seconds per move, from move one.
The blitz pool stage starts on 20 June at 2:00 pm. The round of 16 starts the same evening at 7:00 pm. The quarter-finals begin on 21 June at 2:00 pm, with the final scheduled for 7:00 pm.

The winner of the Rapid will receive €110,000, while the winning team in the Blitz will receive €75,000.
The Amateur Cup prize fund is €25,000, with €10,000 for first place.

Biggest teams and lineups

The headline teams are WR Chess, Hexamind, Team MGD1, Dragon Chilling, Kazchess, Uzbekistan, Chessgurukul, Chess United, and Endgame.AI.

WR Chess are the main favourites, with Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Alexandra Kosteniuk.

Hexamind brings Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Alireza Firouzja, Vidit Gujrathi, Kateryna Lagno and Volodar Murzin. Team MGD1, the defending rapid champions, include Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Pranav V, Leon Luke Mendonca, and Harika Dronavalli.

Dragon Chilling are led by Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie. Kazchess include Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Alexander Grischuk, Richard Rapport, Wang Hao, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Kazybek Nogerbek.

Uzbekistan have built a serious squad around Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, and Shamsiddin Vokhidov, with former FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov as captain.

The full lineups are on the official event website, under the Teams section, with separate pages for Rapid and Blitz. FIDE’s preview also links directly to the registered teams page.

How to attend

The competition is set for Queen Elizabeth Stadium, which recently hosted the 2025 Eastern Asia Juniors and Girls Championships. Hong Kong also staged the 2025 Hong Kong International Open, with more than 400 players and over 80 titled players. So this is not coming from nowhere. It follows a clear buildup.

For spectators in Hong Kong, tickets are sold through the official ticketing platform, with single-day tickets and multi-day passes available. FIDE’s ticket announcement lists Queen Elizabeth Stadium as the venue and gives URBTIX as the ticketing route.

For online viewers, the event is set to be shown through FIDE’s official channels. FIDE’s YouTube channel has an upcoming live stream listed for the championship, starting with the first rapid day on 17 June.

The opening press conference for the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships 2026 took place on June 16 at The Pavilion, The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong, marking the official start of one of FIDE’s most dynamic and spectator-friendly competitions.

Held in Hong Kong for the first time, and making its inaugural appearance in East Asia, the fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships will take place from June 17-21 at Queen Elizabeth Stadium. The event brings together more than 40 teams and over 300 players from around the world, featuring elite grandmasters, top women players, rising stars and amateur participants competing side by side in a unique team format.

The press conference featured FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Hong Kong China Chess Federation President K.K. Chan, as well as leading players: GM Levon Aronian, representing Hexamind; and GM Lei Tingjie, representing Dragon Chilling.

Opening the press conference, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich welcomed the media, players and organisers, underlining the significance of the championships, “Hong Kong isn’t just hosting a chess tournament. It is taking place on the global chess map, with the best players, rising stars and chess fans from all over the world coming together,” he said.

“We see this competition not only as a tournament, but as a festival of chess, where people and ideas come together and where we build a basis for a stronger and more connected chess community.”

The FIDE President also emphasised the rapid growth of the competition. What began in Düsseldorf with 36 teams has now developed into a major international event, with the World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships and the newly introduced FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup bringing together more than 800 players across the full programme. “This event is built for spectators. It is fast, team-based, international and easy to follow, and I invite everyone to come, enjoy, learn and connect,” added Dvorkovich.

K.K. Chan, President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, welcomed the international chess community to the city and described the event as an important moment for Hong Kong’s chess development. “Today is a statement: Hong Kong is open, ambitious, and ready to host the world,” said Chan. “This is a city that has always thrived on competition — in commerce, in culture, in ambition. Chess belongs here. And today, the very best players of this global game are here — in our city.”

Chan also stressed the inspirational value of hosting a world-class chess event for young players in Hong Kong, “When we were asked why Hong Kong should host a World Championship, our answer was simple: you do not wait until you have champions before you host a world event. You host a world event so your young players can see champions with their own eyes. That is how champions are made,” he said.

He further noted that the championship has been awarded “M” Mark status by the Major Sports Events Committee, a recognition of Hong Kong’s standing as a world-class host city.

Following the official remarks, the press conference continued with an interactive discussion featuring GM Levon Aronian and GM Lei Tingjie.

Asked about Hexamind’s expectations for this year’s event, Aronian said the addition of Alireza Firouzja had significantly strengthened the team’s chances of fighting for gold. He also pointed to the importance of having a second female player in the line-up, with Kateryna Lagno, a multiple-time world rapid and blitz champion, joining the team. Aronian noted that although Divya Deshmukh delivered an excellent performance in London last year, the demanding schedule fatigued her, making it necessary to bring in another female player.

Lei Tingjie spoke about Dragon Chilling’s all-Chinese line-up and the spirit of competing together as one team. In a light-hearted exchange, she was also asked about the origins of the team’s name. “Dragon Chilling” is a nod to the viral “Ding Chilling” moment from the 2024 FIDE World Championship Match, with Lei explaining that the name was chosen by the team captain GM Ni Hua, and that the “dragon” carries strong symbolic meaning in Chinese culture.

The conference concluded with questions from the media and a group photo session.

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships 2026 will run from June 17-21 at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, promising five days of fast-paced action, team drama and world-class chess in the heart of Hong Kong.

Written by Chalize Van Zyl
Photos: Michal Walusza

The fourth edition of the fast-paced World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships has started in Hong Kong with 48 squads competing. For the first time since the launch of the competition in 2023, FIDE is also staging a World Team Amateur Cup, which will run alongside the WTRBCC.

Six World Champions, including Zhu Chen, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Ju Wenjun, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand and Ding Liren, and eight World Cup winners and current World Championship challengers Javokhir Sindarov and Vaishali Rameshbabu are taking part in the competition.

The WTRBCC is taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium and will consist of a three-day World Rapid, followed by a two-day World Blitz team tournament. Each team has six to nine players – including a female player and recreational player – and every match is played on six boards. The field also features many of the game’s rising stars, making the competition a meeting point between established champions and the next generation of elite chess.

In parallel with the WTRBCC, FIDE is also staging the first World Team Amateur Cup. Designed solely for non-professionals, it gives recreational players a chance to compete in a world chess championship atmosphere.

More than 800 players in total are participating across both events.


A historic milestone for Hong Kong

The event represents a historic milestone for the Pearl City, marking the largest and most prestigious chess gathering ever held in Hong Kong. Previously, Hong Kong hosted the 2024 Asian Rapid Teams and the FIDE Asian Amateurs Championship in 2025.

Speaking on behalf of the Hong Kong SAR government, Lau Chun, Raistlin, Justice of Peace and Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the championship brings East Asia into the center of top-level fast chess and strengthens Hong Kong’s reputation as a major sporting-event destination.

“We do not simply stage international tournaments awarded the “M” Mark status; we further cement Hong Kong’s reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events,” Lau Chan Raistlin said. The “M” Mark is Hong Kong’s official recognition for major international sports events held in the city.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich described Hong Kong as a new global chess hub. “Today, Hong Kong joins the map of global chess hosts,” Dvorkovich said.

Dvorkovich also praised the inclusive nature of the event: “By bringing together professionals, amateurs and prodigies, we show what chess is today – professional, open, competitive and inclusive.”

From hosting regional competitions to staging a global chess event, Hong Kong is positioning itself as a serious international chess venue. As pointed out by Geoffrey Kao, Honorary President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, hosting the WTRBCC is “a statement to the capacities and the ambitions of our chess federation” and shows that Hong Kong wants “to be taken seriously as a chess city.”

Geoffrey Kao has been praised as the key driving force behind the decision to host the WTRBCC in Hong Kong. K.K. Chan, President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, credited Geoffrey Kao’s role in making the event happen, adding that “this event speaks for itself: the best players in the world, here, on our shores.”

Following the presentation of the teams, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich officially declared the championship open, and together with Lau Chun, Raistlin, started the first round with the ceremonial first move.

The opening ceremony also included a warm birthday tribute to Peter Svidler, the multi-time World Chess Championship Candidate, playing for Barys, who turned 50.

What this event means for world chess

The tournament in Hong Kong joins several FIDE priorities in one: elite fast chess, team-based spectacle, inclusion of women and recreational players, youth development, amateur participation, corporate/private-team engagement, and Asia’s growing role in the chess world.

As pointed out by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Hong Kong is a natural stage because chess strength in Asia is growing fast.

“This region has given our game champions, new stars and a new generation of players who are changing the chess map… This is a statement about where chess is going – faster, more international, more inclusive, more commercially visible, and increasingly centered on Asia,” added Dvorkovich.

On Monday, Dvorkovich was in Shenzhen, one of the world’s leading tech hubs, where he opened FIDE’s new Asian office. With a growing interest from tech companies in chess, the office will focus on building partnerships with tech and business organizations in the region to drive the next phase of global chess development.

About the WTRBСС and the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were launched in 2023. It is a global team competition where teams are made up of elite grandmasters, prodigies and recreational players. It consists of two tournaments – rapid and blitz. This is the first time the event is being held in Hong Kong and East Asia.

The Hong Kong event is also featuring the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, where teams are strictly made up of amateur chess players.

The tournaments take place from 17-21 June, with three days for the rapid and two days for the blitz. The prize fund for the WTRBCC is €500,000, and €25,000 for the Amateur cup.

Official websites:

WTRBCC: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com
Amateur Cup: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com

Written by Milan Dinic
Photos: Michal Walusza

They are followed by nine teams on three match wins, including defending champions Team MGD1 and strong favorites WR Chess.

The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships kicked off in Hong Kong today at Queen Elizabeth Stadium. As is tradition, the World Team Rapid Championship is the first competition to begin.

KazChess – traditionally one of the heavyweights in the field – finished the day at the top of the scoreboard without losing a single game on the top boards. But things did not go entirely smoothly. In round one, the team struggled against local side Chongqing Kylin Chess Club, as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Alexander Grischuk were held to draws by players rated around 300 points lower. Still, KazChess won the match 4:2 thanks to wins by Kazybek Nogerbek and WGM Aldiyar Ansat on boards three and four.

In the following three rounds, KazChess faced exceptionally strong opposition. In round two, they defeated Sky Chess – featuring strong Armenian players Shant Sargsyan and Aram Hakobyan, as well as American GM Andrew Hong – by 4.5:1.5. In round three, they outplayed the star team of Uzbekistan, striking a major blow against World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In the final round of the day, KazChess overcame the all-star Indian squad Chessgurukul, led by Praggnanandhaa R.

Sharing first place, but with weaker tiebreaks, is China’s Dragon Chilling, led by former World Champion Ding Liren. Ding, who is gradually returning to more active chess play, was held to a draw in round one by Mongolia’s Dambasuren Batsuren, rated around 300 points lower.

Ding won in round two, drew again in round three, but finished the day with a defeat in round four. Playing Black against Nikolas Theodorou, he miscalculated in a complicated position and lost.

Day two will open with a headline matchup between the two leaders.

Other notable developments on day one include Praggnanandhaa’s loss in the game with Mongolia-Adlar’s first board, Sumiya Bilguun, who is rated around 300 points lower.

Rating favorites WR Chess – featuring world number one Magnus Carlsen and top players such as Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So – also started strongly but survived a setback in round two against Chessnut Nova after Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Alexandra Goryachkina both lost their games.

In a clash of two chess titans, Magnus Carlsen beat Vasyl Ivanchuk in round three. In the same round, defending champions Team MGD1 lost to Team International Trading from Singapore. In the final moments of the match, MGD1’s board two, Nihal Sarin, slipped against Rinat Jumabayev, handing the Singapore team the victory.

In round four, the mixed Armenian-Uzbek squad Sky Chess delivered a major surprise against Hexamind, one of the favorites. With five games finished, the score was level at 2.5:2.5. But on board three, despite having White, Anish Giri found himself in trouble against Andrew Hong and lost, giving Sky Chess the match victory.

The World Team Rapid Championship continues on Thursday with four more rounds.

Results and pairings of Day One can be found here: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com.

China’s Dragon Chilling delivered a stellar performance on the second day of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship, taking sole lead after round five. After eight rounds, they are on 14 match points and remain the only undefeated team in the tournament.

Defending champions Team MGD1 are in second place with 13 match points, having won three matches and drawn one on day two. Their result has been greatly boosted by their board six player, Abhijeet Shah Aryan (pictured below), who scored 7.5/8.

The Kazakh team Barys, led by seasoned players Dmitry Andreikin and Peter Svidler, are third with 12 match points.

Dragon Chilling made a strong start in round five with a 3.5:2.5 victory over day-one co-leaders KazChess. The team swung the match thanks to GM Yu Yangyi and their steady board six player, Wang Zihao. With three games ending in draws, Dragon Chilling had already secured the match, but board one was still playing. Ding Liren was fighting a lost queen endgame against Richard Rapport, his second during the 2023 World Championship match. In what turned out to be the longest game of the round, Ding ultimately had to resign.

After defeating KazChess, Dragon Chilling drew with Endgame.ai, led by Hans Niemann, and title defenders Team MGD1. They finished the day with a commanding 4:2 victory over the Indian squad Chessgurukul, headed by Praggnanandhaa R.

Despite his team’s lead, Ding Liren’s individual performance has been uneven. The former world champion has five draws, two defeats and just one victory. The key drivers of Dragon Chilling’s success have been Yu Yangyi – who started with 5/5, then lost two games and drew in round eight – and board six Wang Zihao, who scored six wins and drew one game in the seven rounds he has played.

Rating favorites and previous rapid winners, WR Chess had a mixed day. They started with a 4:2 victory over Mr Birdie and Friends (named in homage to a player’s recently deceased pet) but then lost to Team MGD1, 3.5:2.5. In round seven, they defeated Sky Chess, but then suffered a bitter 4:2 defeat in the eighth round at the hands of Barys. They are now in 11th place, with 10 match points.

WR’s star player, world number one Magnus Carlsen, scored just half a point from the three games on day two. He started with a draw against Vladislav Artemiev. Despite arriving five minutes late to the game, Artemiev used his well-known blitz skills to hold Carlsen to a draw. The former World Champion then stumbled in round six, losing to MGD1’s Arjun Erigaisi, and was stunned in round seven by Shant Sargsyan, who is rated around 200 points lower. WR rested Carlsen in the final round, but it did not change their fortunes, as they suffered a surprising 4:2 defeat to Barys, who leapt to third place.

With four rounds left, everything will be decided on the third and final day of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship.

Amateurs fighting for the world crown

The inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup kicked off in Hong Kong today, running alongside the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships.

With an average rating of 1618, the competition gives non-professional players a rare chance to experience a world championship atmosphere – playing in the same venue, on the same boards and clocks, as some of the best players in the world.

The event consists of a nine-round Swiss tournament divided into two pools, followed by the finals.

After three rounds on the first day, Le Petit Prince and South Luzon Amateurs PH lead Pool A, both having won all three matches. In Pool B, first place is shared by Trophy Hunters and Hong Kong Young Dragons, who also finished the day with a perfect score.

About the WTRBСС and the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were launched in 2023. It is a global team competition where teams are made up of elite grandmasters, prodigies and recreational players. It consists of two tournaments – rapid and blitz. This is the first time the event is being held in Hong Kong and East Asia.

The Hong Kong event also features the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, where teams are strictly made up of amateur chess players.

The WTRBCC take place from 17-21 June, with three days for the rapid and two days for the blitz. The prize fund for the WTRBСС is €500,000, and €25,000 for the Amateur cup.

Official websites:

WTRBCC: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com
Amateur Cup: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com

The final day of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship opened with symbolism and ended in drama.

In a reminder of where much of today’s chess power is coming from, representatives from three Asian countries made ceremonial first moves on the leading boards. Bauyrzhan Dosmanbetov, Consul General of Kazakhstan, Rajesh N. Naik, Consul General of India, and Utut Adianto, President of the Indonesian Chess Federation, opened play as the teams entered the decisive rounds in Hong Kong.

China’s Dragon Chilling entered the day as sole leaders and the only undefeated team after eight rounds. In Round 9 they scored a dominant 5:1 victory over Barys. But in the following two rounds, the tables were turned on the Dragons. In round 10, they lost 4:2 to Hexamind, with Alireza Firouzja and Volodar Murzin winning their games. Even after this loss, Dragon Chilling were still in the lead. But then came another shock: the team captained by experienced Chinese GM Ni Hua lost again, suffering a narrow 3.5:2.5 defeat to Mr Birdie and Friends.

Going into the 12th and final round, the squad made up of chess pals – Mr Birdie and Friends – had emerged as the surprise leaders of the tournament. Chasing them were three teams packed with chess superstars: Dragon Chilling, Hexamind and defending champions Team MGD1.

When it was needed most, the goddess of chess Caissa smiled on Dragon Chilling. Their board one, former World Champion Ding Liren, finally broke a six-game drawing streak and defeated Zhao Jun of Interstellar Club in just 20 moves. This victory set the tone for the rest of the match, which ended 5:1 in Dragon Chilling’s favor. This meant the other title contenders had to push even harder.

In another direct duel for first place, Hexamind edged out Mr Birdie and Friends 3.5:2.5, tying Dragon Chilling for first place. With Team MGD1 also winning their match against Barys 5:1, three teams finished on 18 match points.

Everything then depended on tiebreaks. Dragon Chilling had the strongest tiebreak score – 647.5, ahead of Team MGD1’s 632 – and clinched first place. Third place went to Hexamind, who had a tiebreak score of 611.5.

Grandmaster Ni Hua, captain of Dragon Chilling, summed up the tension of the final rounds: “It was very tense. It reminded me of Arsenal vs Manchester City. We lost in the previous match, but this round we won. You can see that Ding started very slow and then he became better and better. In the last round we asked him to push, and he made it.”

Despite missing out on a medal, Mr Birdie and Friends deserve credit for one of the surprise performances of the tournament.

Named in homage to friendship and dedicated to a pet bird that died exactly a year ago, the team took a different approach from most of the other leaders. While many top teams relied on strong GM coaches and detailed preparation, Carissa Yip, who played on the women’s board for Mr Birdie and Friends, said her team prepared in a more relaxed way – through blitz games, friendship and time spent together.

Despite a stellar lineup of top world grandmasters and exceptionally strong preparation, WR Chess finished in 17th place, winning only half of their matches, drawing one and losing five.

Their star player, world number one Magnus Carlsen, appeared in just two games today – and lost both. In total, Carlsen lost four games in a row in Hong Kong: to Arjun Erigaisi, Shant Sargsyan, Javokhir Sindarov and Aydin Suleymanli. It was an exceptionally rare losing streak for the world’s top-rated player.

With the Rapid now concluded, the focus shifts to the FIDE World Team Blitz Championship which starts on Saturday, June 20.

Three more rounds were played on the second day of the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup. After six rounds – three on day one and three on day two – three teams share the lead in Pool A on 10 match points: Golden Stars, Team Sky and day-one co-leaders Le Petit Prince.

In Pool B, Hong Kong Young Dragons and Bosoo Noyon lead the standings, also on 10 match points.

All of the leaders have five match victories and one defeat.

On day three, the final rounds of the pool stage will decide which teams advance to the finals of the inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup.

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were launched in 2023. It is a global team competition where teams are made up of elite grandmasters, prodigies and recreational players. It consists of two tournaments – rapid and blitz. This is the first time the event is being held in Hong Kong and East Asia.

The Hong Kong event also features the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, where teams are strictly made up of amateur chess players.

The WTRBCC take place from 17-21 June, with three days for the rapid and two days for the blitz. The prize fund for the WTRBСС is €500,000, and €25,000 for the Amateur cup.

Official websites:

WTRBCC: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com

Amateur Cup: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com

The FIDE World Team Blitz Chess Championship kicked off today in Hong Kong, with an intense opening day featuring both the pool stage and the first elimination round.

Of 48 teams at the start of play, only eight remain in contention for the title, with most of the favourites successfully navigating the first test of the blitz event.

Unlike the Rapid Championship, which was played as a single 12-round Swiss tournament, the Blitz event has a two-stage format: pools followed by knockouts. The 48 teams were divided into four pools of 12 teams each, with every pool played as a round-robin. The top four teams from each pool advanced to the Round of 16, which was also played today. From that point, the tournament became direct elimination, with each duel consisting of two blitz matches with colours reversed. If the score is still level, tie-breaks decide who advances.

The pool phase

In Pool A, defending blitz champions WR Chess recovered from a disappointing Rapid Championship and showed why they remain one of the most dangerous teams in this format. They won every match except one: a surprising 3:3 draw against China’s Schnappi Krokodil Team. In that encounter, WR’s top boards suffered heavily, with Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana both losing, while Alexandra Kosteniuk also fell on the women’s board. Wesley So and Jan-Krzysztof Duda steadied the match in the middle boards, before team owner Wadim Rosenstein won on the final board to secure the draw.

Chess United, headed by former World Champion Viswanathan Anand and featuring the young Argentinian star Faustino Oro, finished second. Their only major setback was a heavy 5:1 defeat against WR Chess.

Barys took third place after scoring eight wins, two losses and one draw, while China’s Schnappi Krokodil Team completed an excellent pool-stage run, losing only two matches and taking the final qualifying spot.

In Pool B, Endgame.AI, led by Hans Niemann, secured the top spot after winning 10 matches and drawing one. Rapid champions Dragon Chilling also advanced comfortably, finishing second with nine wins and two draws. Indian Chessgurukul and Indonesia claimed the remaining two qualifying places. Endgame.AI and Dragon Chilling were the only two teams in Pool B to go through the pool stage undefeated.

In Pool C, Hexamind and Uzbekistan set the pace, chasing each other for first place throughout the day. Hexamind eventually came out on top, winning 10 matches and drawing one. Uzbekistan finished second, also unbeaten, with eight wins and three draws. Team MGD1, one of the strongest squads in the field, took third place, while Sky Chess secured the fourth and final qualification spot.

Pool D produced the only perfect score of the day. Mr Birdie and Friends, one of the standout teams of the Rapid Championship, won all 11 matches to take clear first. Their lower boards were especially impressive: Carissa Yip and Ning Yunlong both scored 10/11, giving the team a major advantage throughout the round-robin. KazChess finished second on 18 match points, Odlar Yurdu from Azerbaijan took third, and Interstellar Club claimed fourth place to reach the knockouts.

The first knockout round

The Round of 16 immediately raised the stakes: every pairing was played as a two-match duel, with only the winners advancing to the final day.

The favourites largely held their ground. WR Chess, Hexamind, Endgame.AI, Mr Birdie and Friends, Dragon Chilling, Team MGD1 and Uzbekistan all made it through, while Chessgurukul produced the upset of the round by eliminating Chess United.

There was still plenty of tension. Dragon Chilling were held to a draw by Barys in the first match before pulling away with a 4:2 win in the second. Uzbekistan also had to work hard, drawing the first match against Odlar Yurdu before edging the second 3.5:2.5.

Endgame.AI’s Hans Niemann had a strong run on his birthday, although the day ended on a bitter individual note as he lost his final blitz game in the knockout round to Xu Xiangyu, rated nearly 200 points lower.

The biggest surprise was the elimination of Chess United. The team led by Viswanathan Anand fell to the Indian squad Chessgurukul, losing 4:2 in the first match and then suffering a heavy 5:1 defeat in the second.

It was a major statement from Chessgurukul and a sharp reminder that, in blitz, reputation offers little protection once the clocks start ticking.

Everything will be decided tomorrow, when the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match and final will determine the 2026 FIDE World Team Blitz Champions.

Six Amateur Rapid Cup finalists

The pool stage of the inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup concluded on Saturday in Hong Kong. After nine rounds, three first-placed teams from each group go on to fight in the finals.

The top three teams in Pool A:
Golden Stars (15 match points)
Tam Sky (14 match points)
Le Petit Prince (14 match points)
The top three teams in Pool B:
Bosoo Noyon (16 match points)
Hong Kong Young Dragons (14 match points)
Aton Chess (13 match points)

The top three teams from each pool advance to the final stage, where the pool winners play for the title, the runners-up meet for third place, and the third-placed teams contest fifth place.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Michal Walusza


About the WTRBСС and the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were launched in 2023. It is a global team competition where teams are made up of elite grandmasters, prodigies and recreational players. It consists of two tournaments – rapid and blitz. This is the first time the event is being held in Hong Kong and East Asia.

The Hong Kong event also features the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, where teams are strictly made up of amateur chess players.

The WTRBCC take place from 17-21 June, with three days for the rapid and two days for the blitz. The prize fund for the WTRBСС is €500,000, and €25,000 for the Amateur cup.


Official websites:

WTRBCC: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com
Amateur Cup: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com