🏆 **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:

* 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! 👇♟️🔥