Dragon Chilling boasts a powerhouse roster featuring seven Grandmasters, spearheaded by former World Champion Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun, and Lei Tingjie.
Hong Kong - Organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, the five-day "FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026" concluded in spectacular fashion at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Playing on home soil, Dragon Chilling, a powerhouse squad entirely composed of elite Chinese players, clinched both the Rapid and Blitz championship titles. Marking the first time this elite global tournament has been hosted in Hong Kong, the event successfully established the city as the epicentre of the chess world.
The Rapid event finished in thrilling fashion in Hong Kong, with the title decided by the smallest of margins. Following 12 rounds of intense battles, three teams were tied for first place with 18 match points each. China’s Dragon Chilling emerged on top thanks to superior tiebreaks. Defending champions Team MGD1 finished second, while Hexamind Chess Team took third place.
In the Blitz event, Dragon Chilling once again put their incredible resilience and dominance on full display. In the Round of 16 against Barys, as well as the quarterfinals against Mr Birdie and friends and the semifinals against Uzbekistan, they battled through thrilling tiebreakers to overpower their opponents. Carrying this unstoppable momentum into the finals, Dragon Chilling swept Endgame.AI in two straight matches, crowning them the undisputed "Double Champions" of the tournament. Uzbekistan took home the second runner-up title.
Dragon Chilling boasts a powerhouse roster featuring seven Grandmasters, spearheaded by former World Champion Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun, and Lei Tingjie.
Grandmaster Ni Hua, captain of Dragon Chilling, summed up the tension of the final rounds: “This is a true dream come true for us. We poured so much into preparing for this moment, fighting side by side like a family. Following our historic victories in the Men's and Women's World Championships and the Chess Olympiad, this is the very first time Chinese team has claimed gold in this championship, an event that truly tests overall comprehensive strength. We had a burning desire to win this, and today, that dream became reality.”
Rating favorites WR Chess, led by world no.1 Magnus Carlsen, fell short in both events. The team finished 17th in the Rapid event and placed 5th in the Blitz event, missing out on a historic three-peat victory in the Blitz championship.
The tournament convened 48 teams and over 300 top-tier chess players from around the globe, with both its star-studded lineup and scale marking it as the grandest edition in the event's history. Six Hong Kong teams competed, providing local players with a rare and invaluable opportunity to compete alongside the world’s elite. The event has attracted players and tourists from more than 50 countries and regions, significantly boosting the development of the city’s sports tourism and related industries, while further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a centre for major international sports events.
Winners Inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup
The Rapid event finished in thrilling fashion in Hong Kong, with the title decided by the smallest of margins. Following 12 rounds of intense battles, three teams were tied for first place with 18 match points each. China’s Dragon Chilling emerged on top thanks to superior tiebreaks. Defending champions Team MGD1 finished second, while Hexamind Chess Team took third place.
In the Blitz event, Dragon Chilling once again put their incredible resilience and dominance on full display. In the Round of 16 against Barys, as well as the quarterfinals against Mr Birdie and friends and the semifinals against Uzbekistan, they battled through thrilling tiebreakers to overpower their opponents. Carrying this unstoppable momentum into the finals, Dragon Chilling swept Endgame.AI in two straight matches, crowning them the undisputed "Double Champions" of the tournament. Uzbekistan took home the second runner-up title.
Dragon Chilling boasts a powerhouse roster featuring seven Grandmasters, spearheaded by former World Champion Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun, and Lei Tingjie.
Grandmaster Ni Hua, captain of Dragon Chilling, summed up the tension of the final rounds: “This is a true dream come true for us. We poured so much into preparing for this moment, fighting side by side like a family. Following our historic victories in the Men's and Women's World Championships and the Chess Olympiad, this is the very first time Chinese team has claimed gold in this championship, an event that truly tests overall comprehensive strength. We had a burning desire to win this, and today, that dream became reality.”
Rating favorites WR Chess, led by world no.1 Magnus Carlsen, fell short in both events. The team finished 17th in the Rapid event and placed 5th in the Blitz event, missing out on a historic three-peat victory in the Blitz championship.
The tournament convened 48 teams and over 300 top-tier chess players from around the globe, with both its star-studded lineup and scale marking it as the grandest edition in the event's history. Six Hong Kong teams competed, providing local players with a rare and invaluable opportunity to compete alongside the world’s elite. The event has attracted players and tourists from more than 50 countries and regions, significantly boosting the development of the city’s sports tourism and related industries, while further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a centre for major international sports events.
Winners Inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup
Golden Stars
Bosoo Noyon
Hong Kong Young Dragons
The inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup ran alongside the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships. The competition gave non-professional players a rare chance to experience a world championship atmosphere—playing in the same venue, and using the same boards and clocks, as some of the best players in the world. Out of a competitive field of 40 amateur teams, the Golden Stars and the Bosoo Noyon claimed the championship and first runner-up titles respectively, while the Hong Kong Young Dragons, a squad composed entirely of local Hong Kong players, secured third place.
M Mark Event
The "FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026" is awarded "M" Mark status by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising an intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory’s sports calendar, which help enhance the image of Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events.
Mixed Team Format with Total Prize Fund €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 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.
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