🏆 **FIDE WORLD TEAM RAPID & BLITZ CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026** ♟️🌏
📍 **WHERE:** Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong
📅 **WHEN:** June 16 – 22, 2026
🔥 **Main Competition Days:** June 17 – 21
🌏 This historic event marks the tournament's **first-ever appearance in East Asia**!
⚙️ **KEY EVENT DETAILS**
👥 **Team Format:**
Mixed teams of **6–9 players**. Each lineup must include:
✅ At least **1 female player**
✅ At least **1 recreational player** (ELO below 2000)
💰 **Prize Fund:**
A massive **€500,000** purse – split between the Rapid & Blitz events!
🏛️ **Organizers:**
Hosted by **FIDE** (International Chess Federation) in collaboration with the **Hong Kong China Chess Federation**.
⏱️ **TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE**
♟️ **World Team Rapid** (June 17–19)
• 12-round Swiss system
• Time control: **15 minutes + 10 seconds per move**
⚡ **World Team Blitz** (June 20–21)
• Pool stages → 16-team knockout
• Time control: **3 minutes + 2 seconds per move**
⭐ **ELITE LINEUPS & FAVORITES**
This year's field is the **strongest in history** – featuring many of the world's Top 10 male and female players! 🔥
Just take a look at the team composition. It looks like a mini Olympiad !!
🏅 **WR Chess**
• Headlined by World No. 1 **Magnus Carlsen**
• Also: **Fabiano Caruana** & **Maxime Vachier-Lagrave**
🐉 **Dragon Chilling**
• Led by former World Champion **Ding Liren**
• Reigning Women's World Champion **Ju Wenjun**
🧠 **Hexamind Chess Team**
• Stars: **Alireza Firouzja**, **Anish Giri**, & **Levon Aronian**
🎟️ **WATCHING & ATTENDING**
**In‑Person:**
🎫 General admission & multi-day passes available via:
• **URBTIX Ticketing Platform** (official)
• Occasionally on **StubHub**
**Online (Global Fans):**
💻 Track live standings, pairings & real-time board action on:
• **Chess.com Events**
• **FIDE Official Tournament Page**
What are they all fighting for? These prize money of course:
| Place | Rapid (€) | Rapid (RM) | Blitz (€) | Blitz (RM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1st | €110,000 | (RM 555,500) | €75,000 | (RM 378,750) |
| 🥈 2nd | €70,000 | (RM 353,500) | €50,000 | (RM 252,500) |
| 🥉 3rd | €50,000 | (RM 252,500) | €30,000 | (RM 151,500) |
| 4th | €30,000 | (RM 151,500) | €20,000 | (RM 101,000) |
| 5th | €20,000 | (RM 101,000) | €15,000 | (RM 75,750) |
| 6th | €15,000 | (RM 75,750) | — | — |
| 🏅 Category | Prize (€) | Prize (RM) | Blitz | Blitz (RM) |
| 1st Under‑2400 (Rapid) | €10,000 | (RM 50,500) | — | — |
| 1st Under‑2200 (Rapid) | €5,000 | (RM 25,250) | — | — |
* Exchange rate used: 1 EUR ≈ 5.05 MYR (subject to market fluctuations)
As I posted in my last article, there are the Malaysians taking part:
♟️ MALAYSIA CHESS HUB
🇲🇾 Powered by experience and talent!
🔹 GM Yeoh, Li Tian – 2421
🔹 FM Kavin, Mohan – 2266
🔹 IM Mas, Hafizulhelmi – 2198
🔹 IM Tan, Jun Ying – 2145
🔹 CM Chow, Yi Chen – 1878
🔹 WFM Mohd Afif, Ainul Mardhiah – 1796
🔹 Jafri Malim, Mohd Adam Hafiz – 1786 (also serving as Team Captain)
🔹 Mohd Kamal, Eldin Hakimi – 1783
⚡ TEAM QUADCORE+
🔸 FM Genkeswaran, Genivan – 1975
🔸 Mohd Nurul Izani, Kaseh Irsya Dania – 1691
Malaysians acting as arbiters there
👤 IA Madhavan, Collin
👤 IA Madhavan, Olivia
Who's your pick to take it all? Drop your predictions below! 👇♟️🔥
Meet “Chin” – Thailand’s 10-Year-Old Chess Sensation!
His real name is Pakornnarong Liukasemsarn, a young chess prodigy from Thailand, born in 2015 – making him just 10 or 11 years old during the tournament.
How the tournament worked
Fast-paced esports rapid format: 10 minutes per player, no increment
22 players split into 4 groups
Magnus Carlsen (eventual winner) was in Group A
Chin was drawn into Group D – so no early showdown with Magnus
The MASSIVE upset no one saw coming
He defeated Russian Grandmaster Andrey Esipenko (rated 2684) in their Group D match.
That’s an ~840-point rating gap!
Monumental.
Look out for this kid
