Here are the top 20 strongest chess players participating in the FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship 2026, ranked by their ELO ratings:

1. Magnus Carlsen – 2832 (WR Chess)
2. Vladislav Artemiev – 2742 (Mr Birdie and friends)
3. Arjun Erigaisi – 2741 (Team MGD1)
4. Alireza Firouzja – 2732 (Hexamind Chess Team)
5. Levon Aronian – 2730 (Hexamind Chess Team)
6. Viswanathan Anand – 2729 (Chess United)
7. Wei Yi – 2726 (Dragon Chilling)
8. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – 2725 (WR Chess)
9. Fabiano Caruana – 2723 (WR Chess)
10. Wesley So – 2719 (WR Chess)
11. Javokhir Sindarov – 2718 (Uzbekistan)
12. Ding Liren – 2716 (Dragon Chilling)
13. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 2707 (Kazchess)
14. Nodirbek Abdusattorov – 2703 (Uzbekistan)
15. Leinier Dominguez Perez – 2696 (Endgame.AI)
16. Nihal Sarin – 2689 (Team MGD1)
17. Anish Giri – 2689 (Hexamind Chess Team)
18. Dmitry Andreikin – 2686 (Barys)
19. Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 2685 (WR Chess)
20. Alexander Grischuk – 2682 (Kazchess)

Insights from the Top 20 Rankings: The competition at the championship is exceptionally high, with all top 20 players holding an ELO rating of 2682 or above. WR Chess stands out as a major powerhouse by bringing together five of the top 20 players in the tournament (Carlsen, Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, So, and Duda), which significantly contributes to their formidable team rating average.

Other elite rosters include the Hexamind Chess Team, boasting three top-tier players with Firouzja, Aronian, and Giri. Additionally, Nihal Sarin and Anish Giri are statistically tied for the 16th and 17th spots, sharing an identical ELO rating of 2689.

What is this event about?

This is the 2026 FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship. This international tournament takes place at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong and is organized by the local federation alongside FIDE. It is a twelve-round Swiss-system format and a rapid time control of fifteen minutes plus a ten-second increment.

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

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⚡ TEAM QUADCORE+

🔸 FM Genkeswaran, Genivan – 1975

🔸 Mohd Nurul Izani, Kaseh Irsya Dania – 1691

Malaysians acting as arbiters there

👤 IA Madhavan, Collin
👤 IA Madhavan, Olivia